Bedtime Stories - Tikki and Plagg
by fictionalwritings09
Summary: Marinette and Adrien have both been curious about their Kwamis' pasts, as well as their relationship to each other. One night, after a difficult Akuma battle, Tikki and Plagg decide to answer their questions and explain their history in a series of bedtime stories. [TikkixPlagg-centric] (rating may change due to content)
1. Prologue

**FW09: Hey folks! My handle's "fictionalwritings09"! I'm not new to fanfiction, I've been an avid reader and sometimes writer, but I decided to start a new account to get a fresh start.  
**

 **And I've decided on Miraculous Ladybug because I was a little sad that there were so few stories between Tikki and Plagg! Yes, Adrien and Marinette, Ladybug and Chat Noir are the main pairing - and I love them for it - but I was always fascinated with Tikki and Plagg because of the mystery surrounding them. So! For anyone who wanted another TikkixPlagg romance fic, here you go!  
**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous: The Adventures of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and all characters (unless specified) belong to Miraculous.  
**

* * *

 **Bedtime Stories: Tikki and Plagg**

Prologue – Marinette's Bedroom and Petit Fours

"Ughhh…that Chat Noir!" Ladybug grunted, vaulting over roof after roof, until she landed atop a Parisian bakery. Her silhouette was outlined in moonlight as she huffed, stamping down any further frustration. She had to be careful, after all, since it had long since eclipsed into night, and Paris had quieted down – enough so that an outburst would definitely be noticed. The costumed superheroine peered over the edge, checking to see if the lights had gone out yet.

'…Aaaaannnd, out,' she timed the thought perfectly as she watched the yellow light dim. It was 9:00 PM, and the owners specialized in daytime pastries, preferring the safety of day to night. As if summoned by her thoughts, Tom Dupain emerged from the now-dark patisserie to collect the daily specials board, and Sabine Cheng worked a clean cloth over the glass on the doors, flipping the "open" sign to "closed".

Ladybug moved quickly, and quietly, to sneak herself into Marinette Dupain-Cheng's room. Or, more accurately, _her_ room. A quick flash of red light and the miraculous heroine Ladybug transformed once again back into fashion-loving, Parisian teenager Marinette. She blinked once, twice, to clear her vision, just in time to see a tired Tikki float through the darkened room and onto Marinette's bed.

"Sorry Tikki, tonight must've been hard on you," the bluenette whispered softly, turning on her desk light to illuminate the bedroom dimly.

"That's OK, Marinette," the little Kwami replied in a sigh, her big blue eyes opening weakly before closing again, "I just need a little food and I'll be fine."

"And rest," Marinette walked over to Tikki and sat down next to her, rubbing her palm over the smooth maroon red, "You wait here, and I'll make sure you go to sleep with a full stomach." Tikki smiled warmly at her chosen one, always thankful for the teenager's kindness and thoughtfulness. Her eyes followed Marinette's form as it exited downstairs, and a conversation could be heard between the bluenette and her parents. For a few moments, Tikki let the softness of the comforter envelop her, as well as thoughts of someone she hadn't seen for some time.

Plagg. That cheese-loving rapscallion. Tonight, she'd caught a glimpse of him as Chat Noir raced around the corner of a chimney stack and de-stabilized prematurely. Ladybug had turned her back just as it had happened, out of respect. Tikki, however, was watching through Marinette spiritually, and managed to spy a tiny black blur shoot out forcefully from behind the chimney. It shook its head a couple times before its green eyes locked onto Ladybug, staring after them. And even as Tikki was carried further away by Ladybug, she could still feel his slit-pupils on her.

"…Tikki…Tikki?" Marinette rubbed Tikki's head gently with the tips of her fingers, massaging the black spot just between her antennae.

"Mmmm…Plagg?" Tikki murmured pleasantly, a cute smile forming on her face.

"Plagg?" Marinette asked quizzically, "No, Tikki, it's Marinette. C'mon, if you don't have your food, you'll be all groggy tomorrow." Tikki opened one blue eye and focused on the little dish of petit fours in Marinette's free hand, tarts and eclairs glazed in sugar and icing dazzling in the moonlight. She woke up a little more, the scent of passion fruit, blueberries, and maple syrup making her mouth water.

"Aaaahhhh," the red and black Kwami yawned adorably, and Marinette couldn't help but grin at the way Tikki's little arms stretched upwards, "That smells delicious, Marinette."

"Here, eat up Tikki," the bluenette scooped up her partner and placed the tiny creature on her lap, "They're all for you."

"No, you should eat a little, too," Tikki protested as the dish was lowered to her level, "You didn't eat anything before we left to defeat the Akuma." She took a chocolate-covered tart with fresh blueberries and raised it above her head, jiggling it below Marinette's chin. The bluenette giggled at Tikki's offering, and was tempted to just bite into it, but chose to take it from the Kwami with her hand instead.

"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette took a bite and hummed at the delicious baked treat, "By the way, why did you call me 'Plagg'?"

"Mmff?!" Tikki was in the middle of burying her face into a maple syrup éclair when Marinette asked her the question, "Mmmm…" The bluenette giggled when Tikki turned around to stare up at her, the Kwami's little red cheeks covered in maple glaze.

"Ummm," Tikki swallowed as best she could around the éclair, "Did I?" Marinette nodded and smiled, taking delight in seeing her Miraculous guardian embarrassed.

"Well…I saw him tonight," she cleaned her cheeks a bit like a squirrel, turning back to the petit fours dish, "Just a little bit of him. When Chat Noir returned to being a civilian."

"Wait, does that mean you saw who Chat Noir is?" Marinette asked in surprise, but Tikki closed her eyes and raised an arm at her.

"Ah-ah, Marinette," the Kwami waved her arm like she was shaking a finger, "We Kwami are sworn to not only protect our Miraculous holders, but their identities, too! You know that!"

"I know…but shouldn't it be OK _between_ holders?" Marinette pouted slightly, before Tikki once again reprimanded her.

"If I revealed his identity to you, you should be fair and reveal your identity to him," the Kwami took another small bite of the éclair, "Are you really ready to do that?" Marinette leaned back on the bed, the dim light of her desk light reflecting the indecision on her face.

"Thought so," Tikki nodded affirmatively, licking her lips as she felt her energy come back, "Besides, even if you knew his identity, you were still pretty mad at him tonight." Again, the bluenette pouted and rolled her eyes, her mouth set in a frown.

"That's because he kept us way over time!" Marinette protested quietly, "It's like he's trying to make us run out of time so we would see our secret identities! Flirting, using cat puns, dragging out fights by teasing the villains! It's just…it gets so frustrating sometimes!"

"That just means he likes you and he wants to spend more time with you," Tikki explained sagely. She turned around with the last bit of éclair in her arms, looking at Marinette with a knowing smile.

"But I like Adrien," Marinette huffed, crossing her arms indignantly and turning her head to face the posters of Adrien above her headboard. Tikki sighed and noticed the half-bitten tart leaving crumbs on the comforter. With some effort, the Kwami shoved the rest of the éclair into her mouth and floated over to grab the tart.

"I know, but Chat Noir doesn't know that," Tikki drifted in front of Marinette's face, nudging the tart towards her, "And you never said you _didn't_ like him." Marinette felt the frustration sizzle and die in Tikki's douse of cold logic, accepting the tart with another pout.

"Fine…enough talking about Chat Noir," Marinette grinned as she stared at Tikki, "What about Plagg?" The Luck Kwami stiffened and her big blue eyes grew wide, cursing herself inwardly at the direction of the conversation.

"C'mon Tikki," Marinette shifted the dish of petit fours to the stand next to her bed and flipped onto her stomach, "I always wanted to know how you and Plagg know each other." Shiny pearly teeth crunched into the baked tart, finishing it off as they faced Tikki next. She might not have wanted to eat Tikki, but it was clear that the bluenette was ravenous for information.

"Isn't it obvious? The Ladybug Miraculous and Chat Noir Miraculous are linked," Tikki tried to explain it with logic once more, "So, we've known each other through our holders."

"For over 5,000 years?" Marinette folded her arms under her chest, propping herself up to listen to the Kwami, "But I thought you were supposed to protect your holders' identities? Does that mean holders revealed their identities to each other before?"

"Mhmm," Tikki conceded, lowering herself so she could rest comfortably on the bed, "It might be hard to imagine, but there were lots of Ladybugs who were heads-over-heels in love with their generations' Chat Noirs." She gave a little giggle at Marinette's disgusted and annoyed face, like she'd just smelled something awful.

"It's true! And there were lots of Chat Noirs who loved their Ladybugs, like your Chat Noir," Tikki scooted closer to Marinette, "But guess what?"

"…What?" Marinette had a feeling about what Tikki was going to say, but it was too weird to even say it.

"There were lots, and lots, and LOTS of Ladybugs and Chat Noirs who ended up together, and got married when they stopped being super heroes!" Tikki gave a half-lidded, smart-aleck look and booped Marinette's nose, laughing when Marinette reared away and stuck her tongue out.

"Ew! No!" Marinette waved one hand like she was getting rid of flies from her face, "Uh-uh, no way! Not in a million years! If I'm getting married to anyone, it's Adrien, not Chat Noir!" Tikki rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, smirking.

"You never know, Marinette," the Kwami told her in a sing-song voice, "One day, you're dreaming of Adrien at your wedding, and the next thing you know, it's Chat Noir! Dressed in a tuxedo with his cat ears on, and using cat puns in your wedding vows." Marinette groaned and put her face into her comforter, crying on the inside. Tikki giggled and floated over to Marinette, patting her head.

"Don't worry, though. There were also some Ladybugs and Chat Noirs that married other people," Tikki watched Marinette slowly raise her head in hope.

"So…it's not fate?" Marinette asked, and Tikki nodded, "Yes! Then I can still marry Adrien…" The bluenette whispered Adrien's name dreamily, and Tikki giggled, shaking her head.

"Wait…you just distracted me again," Marinette frowned, and Tikki gulped at the sudden turn of events, "You still haven't told me anything about you and Plagg!"

"There's not much to tell! It's not like we visited each other often…" Tikki looked down bashfully, her antennae twitching downward, "We're sworn to guard the Miraculous and their holders. There's not many times we're together when we're not fused."

"…But there _were_ times, right?" Marinette pushed further, anticipating Tikki's answers, "Like…how about the first time you met?" Tikki turned her head away, but the bluenette swore that there was a flustered look on Tikki's tiny face.

"C'mon…it'll be like…telling me a bedtime story," Marinette jumped off the bed and rushed to get her pajamas on, "I mean, I've had some sugar and I definitely want Chat Noir off my mind before I go to sleep." She returned to Tikki looking thoughtful and pensive, a furrow between her eyes.

"It's just…I don't know where to begin," Tikki admitted in exasperation, looking up at Marinette with a shrug, "It's over 5,000 years of history."

"Then, start at the beginning," Marinette smiled, glad that Tikki was giving in finally, "I'll get us comfortable and you can have another snack if you want." The red and black Kwami floated over to the petit fours dish to pick out another pasty as Marinette arranged the bed, laying down a few pieces of napkin next to her.

"Ready?" Marinette drew the comforter over her body, and curved it around the napkins. Tikki flew and dropped herself on the napkins, a puffed pastry with passion fruit custard nestled against her.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Tikki said unsurely, staring down at the pastry with nervous eyes. It had been a while since she thought about Plagg, and even longer since she thought about their beginnings. It brought old feelings as well as memories, and a sense of nostalgia that was more than friendship. Tikki took a deep breath, the smell of the passion fruit and sweet pastry easing her frayed nerves.

 _"Well, it all started much longer than 5,000 years ago…before we were the guardians of the Miraculous. Before even the Miraculous existed. Because back then, we were more than just Kwami. We were Gods."_

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 **FW09: I know that this chapter was short, but this is the prologue after all! Please, let me know how you guys like it, and if there's anything I can do to make it better! Also, if you have any questions, I'll try to answer them in the next chapter! See you guys real soon!**


	2. Marinette's Bedroom (1)

**FW09: Hello once again Miraculous readers! It's time for the next chapter! I hope you're all ready for it, but first, answering this question~**

 **From "pinksakura271":**

 **"** What's your favorite ship of the Miraculous Love Square?! **"**

 **\- Well...I mean, I love all sides of that square. LadyNoir, Marichat, Ladrien, and Adrienette are all very amusing. But if I had to pick my favorite, it'd probably be Ladrien, my only reason being that everyone's happy. However, since two of the sides of the square are the same person...I just throw my hands up in the air and laugh at how complicated, and at the same time NOT complicated, it all is.**

 **And that's all for questions! On with the show!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: the Adventures of Ladybug and Chat Noir. All characters, unless specified as OCs, are not mine either.**

* * *

 **Bedtime Stories: Tikki and Plagg**

Chapter 1: Marinette's Bedroom and the Birth of a New God

"…Gods?" Marinette stared down at Tikki, a little doubtful and unsure, "You?"

"Yup," Tikki's little arms worked to turn the puffed pastry, distracting from the uncomfortable feelings that bubbled in her tiny body, "Hard to believe…isn't it?" There was a certain sting to her pride that started to hurt once more, something that came and went. Over thousands of years, the Kwami's position as miniature guardian had taken some getting used to – being treated as a doll or a pet, and being shoved into uncomfortable spaces and bags – but once she accepted her role, she'd come to accept the embarrassing aspects that came with the job. After all, pride was a fairly cheap price to pay for world peace.

"I mean…the things you can do, and the Miraculous…" the teenager scratched her head, "It's magical, but…God-level?" Tikki had to laugh a little at Marinette's question.

"Well, we weren't always this tiny," Tikki stuffed a little of the flaky, sugary crust into her mouth, "But there was a reason for it." She licked the sugar crystals on her arms, but stopped when she felt Marinette's unwavering gaze on her.

"I'm not telling you that right now," the little Kwami giggled, her antennae flicking playfully, "We're not even at that part in the story." Marinette's eyes grew wide and expectant, grinning ear to ear.

"This is going to be a long story, isn't it?" she squealed a little, realizing that Tikki's past with Plagg might be more than she expected.

"Mhmm," Tikki popped another lacy sugar thread into her mouth, "Like I said, it's over 5,000 years of history. Even history books can't summarize it in one night." Marinette made a sound of loathing and boredom, the word _history_ grating on her ears.

"That'd be really easy if they could though," she muttered, and Tikki patted Marinette's cheek with a smile. History was definitely not Marinette's best subject.

"That's alright, I think you might find this story a little more interesting than regular history," Tikki brought Marinette's attention back.

"So…Gods?"

"Yup. _Gods_."

* * *

 _During the old days, when human civilization took its first steps, the human word "God" was used to describe anything supernatural or out of the ordinary. For instance, a magical beast that established its territory in an old forest, or a spirit of a bog that grew powerful enough to take form. In those days, "Gods" were everywhere. And they were seen as either "good" or "evil"._

 _"Good" Gods bestowed blessings upon humans, took care of their land and helped it prospered. In return, shrines were erected in their honor, and offerings of food, drink, and prizes were made daily as worship. They were prayed to for guidance, strength, and virtue, and often thanked for the miracles they performed every day._

" _Evil" Gods caused death and destruction, and were hostile towards humans. They were hunted, cast out, and feared. Strict rituals were made to prevent them from entering human territory, including sacrifices, and any disasters or ailments were usually blamed on them._

 _That's the way humans saw us. Never gray, always black or white. Never neutral, always right or wrong. But that's not what we were._

 _Each "God" had their own unique abilities, and it was up to each "God" how they used them. Some would cause havoc, as they saw humans as parasites or slaves. Others found them charming, and favored them. But no God was completely good or evil – that was a fully human notion._

 _I remember my time when I first became a "God", in a land that would eventually become China. I was a spirit that inhabited a small field that was taken care of by a small peasant family, who used ladybugs as a natural repellant against aphids. Their love and care were poured into that little field, and as the years went by, that plot of land gave me enough spiritual energy to manifest a corporeal form. It wasn't much different than how I look now, but I was garbed in a simple red hanfu._

 _When the family's youngest son, named Huang, found me, he wasn't sure what to make of me – but I made it simple for him._

" _Tell your family this," I spoke to him, "Take care of the land as you've done before. Continue to cherish it, and nurture it. And I will help bring bounty to this field." The little boy understood and ran back to his parents, bringing them to me to negotiate the arrangement. They agreed to water the plants, keeping the land ploughed, free from harmful animals like rabbits and boars, and protect it during the winter months. In turn, I promised to take care of the problems that they could not control, though they were skeptical at first._

 _For the next few years, I showed them that, despite my size, I was powerful enough to influence the weather to bring sunshine on most cloudy days, guide earthworms to churn earth and bring nutrients to the soil, and bless the crops to avoid disease. They were impressed, and were especially grateful when the field yielded its bounty before winter, preventing them from starving and giving them items to trade and sell. It wasn't until 5 years later that they began to wonder if I was a God, when a band of bandits were reported to have been roaming the same area._

 _The poor family, who had no weapons to defend themselves with, asked me for help, but my powers were tied to that of the land. I provided and nurtured plants – I was not a being that could physically harm someone else, even if they meant harm to me. They lamented over this for a few nights, and resolved to leave for safety. However, that same little boy who had first found me believed in me, and told me that even if his family were to leave, he wanted to stay. Huang would protect their land if I couldn't, and said he understood that there was only so much I could do._

 _Perhaps it was his faith in me, or maybe the land had simply gathered enough of their love and energy in its roots, but on the night the bandits came, I found that my powers had grown. I still wasn't able to hurt someone, as my nature didn't allow me to, but I was able to do other things. One of the bandits found a trail of gold coins and followed it to a cave where a dying nobleman had left his treasure. For several nights, the bandits stayed away to collect their loot. The next time they came, their leader came upon a young woman who was lost, and it turned out to be the daughter of a wealthy merchant. She grew enamored with him, despite his rough attitude and demeanor, and the two were engaged the next week. Every time one of them came near the grove, they were struck inexplicably with good fortune, and by the next month, bandits were no longer seen in the area._

" _That was you, wasn't it?" the father of the family asked in awe, "You saved our land, without causing a single death." I answered that I only did what I could, and that if they wished to express their gratitude, they should just continue tending the fields. Huang, however, suspected that I had become more than just some spirit._

" _What is your name?" he asked one day, lounging on the plow after a long day's work._

" _I don't have one. I'm a ladybug spirit," I told him, sitting on his shoulder as the orange hue of the sunset filtered through the clouds above, "Names are for humans. Spirits, plants, and beasts have no use for them." It was true - communication between nature and spirit was nonverbal. One only needed to look at each other to know they were communicating with them._

" _You must have a name. One day, you might even become a God," the boy replied, and he looked over at the swarm of ladybugs that were flitting about the field, "…Why not the Ladybug God?" I laughed a little, and flitted off his shoulder._

 _"That's more of a title than a name, isn't it?" I settled on the plow beside him, my antennae perking up as I felt the air turn a bit cooler, "And a little on the nose, too. I don't just call you Boy of Plowing, do I?"_

" _Yeah, I guess not," he sighed dejectedly, then he sat upright and began to ponder, "Hmm…how about...Qiji*?"_

 _"Qiji?" I tilted my head, and floated towards him, "Why 'Qiji'?"_

 _"It means 'miracle'," Huang grinned and jumped off the plow, "And you create miracles every day for us!" There was an excited fervor in his voice, his brown eyes sparkling underneath tousled black hair._

 _"Qiji, the God of Luck! That's your name!" the young boy bowed deeply, practicing, "Oh great Qiji, God of Luck, bestow upon us your wisdom and riches!" I couldn't help but smile at the gesture, and played along by holding my head high._

 _"I'm a God now, Huang," I floated around him, and landed on his head, "I can't just give wisdom and riches for free anymore, you know? What do you offer in return?"_

 _"First year's harvest until the end of time!" he exclaimed, but when he didn't hear a reply, he continued, "And my mother's moon cakes for the rest of my life!" I licked my lips and hopped off his head, hovering in front of his face._

 _"Deal!" I poked his nose and giggled, watching as Huang laughed with me in the sunset._

 _Little did I know that this truly was the beginning of my Godhood, and my path towards meeting Plagg..._

* * *

Tikki ended her story as she saw Marinette yawn and rub her bleary, blue eyes. It was already 10:00 PM, and the young bluenette had school the next day. The red-and-black Kwami smiled knowingly, and began to gather up the napkins and crumbs. A pale peach palm stopped her, rubbing over the top of her head.

"Keep going, Tikki," Marinette mumbled weakly, her eyes on the verge of closing, "It's a good story..."

"There's always tomorrow, Marinette," Tikki told her, struggling out from under Marinette's hand, "For now, we should rest up." A small red blur flashed between Marinette's bed and the trash bin at her desk, disposing of the mess with speed and efficiency. Once done, she proceeded to turning off the desk lamp, letting the moon illuminate the dark room.

"Was Huang your first Ladybug?"

The question made Tikki pause, her antennae twitching in thought. She turned to look at Marinette, who was peering over the fluff of her comforter with a bit more awareness. There was no suspicion or jealousy in her eyes, only pure curiosity. Tikki floated over to her Miraculous holder, nestling Marinette's head on the pillow.

"No," she replied simply, rubbing her cheek against the bluenette's warm forehead, "But he was my first human. He embodied everything that I loved about humanity - their warmth, their laughter...their faith. You remind me of him in some ways."

"Good ways?" Marinette asked hopefully in a soft whisper, and Tikki giggled, letting her antennae brush over Marinette's hair.

"Of course," Tikki crawled down to be closer to Marinette's neck, sighing as the comforter was drawn over the both of them, "You're just as kind as he was, Marinette, if not more so. And in those days, it was very hard to be kind." Before she could explain further, another yawn caught Tikki's attention, and she quieted down, listening to the bluenette's breathing as it changed from fast to slow. Tikki glanced up quickly and saw a small smile on Marinette's face, pleased by the confession apparently.

The Luck Kwami sighed softly once more, and closed her eyes gratefully. The Akuma had really tuckered her out today, and she needed the sleep. However, her thoughts drifted ever so curiously towards a pair of green-eyes that haunted her throughout her dreams. Comforting, yet prickling as well. As though they were watching her even now...

* * *

"Plagg, what are you looking at?"

"...Hmmm?"

The Destruction Kwami perked his whiskers up as he acknowledged Adrien's voice, but continued to stare at one of the walls in the boy's room. Every so often, the whisker on the top of his head would shift towards the same spot his eyes were drawn to, and Adrien couldn't help but be curious about it.

"You're sort of just staring off into space, dude," Adrien stated matter-of-factly, crossing his arms as he leaned against his desk. It had been a long night, and the Parisian boy was already dressed in loose pajamas. Just as he was about to climb into bed, however, he noticed Plagg acting strangely. It wasn't for the first time this night, either. After they de-stabilized, Adrien remembered hiding behind the chimney frantically, and Plagg hovering just around it. His eyes were staring at Ladybug, or something just beyond her, and he didn't take his eyes off of her until she disappeared completely. Since then, Plagg had been alarmingly silent, so much so that Adrien wondered if he'd seen something.

"Plagg? Hellooooo?" Adrien didn't get much of a reply, just a little hum from the cat-like creature, and a twitch of his tail. The blonde model gave a roll of his eyes before reaching into his pocket and unraveling a small tinfoil-wrapped piece of Camembert. Almost instantaneously, Plagg whipped around and darted towards the smelly cheese, snatching it from Adrien's hands and whisking it back to the same spot he was hovering in. His eyes never left the spot on the wall as he munched noisily on his meal.

"Seriously, why are you staring at my wall?"

"None of your business," Plagg replied finally, giving a smirk in Adrien's direction.

"What if I cut off your Camembert, then?" Adrien raised an eyebrow, threatening the Kwami's cheese supply.

"...Hmph," Plagg frowned, still chewing on the Camembert in his mouth, "Fine. I'm just sensing her." The blonde continued to cross his arms as he waited for Plagg to continue, but all Plagg did was stuff his mouth with the rest of the cheese.

"Well, who's 'her'?" Adrien pressed for more information, but his eyes widened as he felt his heart beat faster, "Do you mean...Ladybug?"

"Mmm...yes," Plagg wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, grinning at Adrien's reaction, "And no." Expectedly, Adrien's face fell, and Plagg laughed obnoxiously at the teenager's sudden shift in mood.

"I'm sensing her Kwami - Tikki," he explained further, saving himself from Adrien's wrath, "And where Tikki is, so is Ladybug." Plagg's tail flicked to and fro, his green eyes wandering back in Tikki's direction.

"Could you find her, if you wanted to?" Adrien pulled out his desk chair and set it next to Plagg, sitting down on it backwards so he could stare at the wall with him. The black Kwami purred in thought - it was tempting, but Tikki and the other Miraculous guardians had rules about finding each other haphazardly.

"No, she'd sense me, too," Plagg sat on Adrien's shoulder, giving his body a rest from hovering, "A mile away. And if that happens...well, it won't be good for anyone."

"Heh, is it because you smell like Camembert?" the blonde teenager joked, glancing at Plagg to see his reaction, "...Plagg? Plagg? Hellooooo?"

"...No, it's more complicated than that."

Adrien blinked at Plagg's unusually somber answer. Normally the Kwami would've chastised him, or teased him in return. Something was bothering the smelly little creature, and Adrien sighed as he prepared himself.

"All right, Plagg," he poked Plagg in the cheek, "What's up with you tonight? You're way more quiet than usual." For a few seconds, there was silence in the room, enough to hear the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway. Plagg sighed, pushing Adrien's finger away.

"I just...wish I could've seen her."

The wistfulness in the cat Kwami's voice was startling to Adrien. It wasn't any different to how _he_ sounded when he talked about Ladybug. Adrien would've teased Plagg on any other day and occasion, but the nasally tone was much more longing and sad. Deep, even.

"You mean...Tikki?"

"...Yeah. It's been so long," Plagg floated up once more, like in a trance, and touched the wall, "And I could feel her - feel her looking at _me_." Adrien crossed his arms on the back of the chair and placed his chin on them, watching Plagg's restless movements. This was a side to Plagg that the Miraculous holder had never seen before. It was hopeful, dreamy, _tender_ even. And there was only one feeling that could describe the cat's behavior.

"Are you in love with her?" Green cat eyes met human, narrowing to slits in question, but Adrien refused to look away. Plagg glanced back in the red Kwami's direction, then back to Adrien.

"Didn't I say it before?" Plagg drifted back onto Adrien's shoulder, flashing a smirk at the boy, "Love is for cheese, not girls. 'Sides, we haven't talked in hundreds of years."

"Uh huh," Adrien raised his eyebrow again, and glanced over to the window, "Whoa, what's that red blur?!"

"Where?!" Plagg shot off of the blonde manipulator's shoulder and ran smack dab into the window. It took only a couple of moments for the black Kwami to realize he'd been tricked, and he glared at Adrien with a sour expression. Adrien, on the other hand, was trying to contain his laughter, and the sour expression on Plagg's face grew more disdainful by the second.

"Well, now I know you at least care about her," Adrien confirmed after he stopped laughing, crossing his arms with a satisfied grin.

How Plagg wished he was big enough to wipe that smile off of the boy's face.

"Hey, it's no big deal, Plagg," the Parisian model laughed a little, raising his hands in defense, "I'm just...surprised. I never pegged you as the sort to fall in love with anything other than Camembert."

"I love cheddar and swiss, too," Plagg mumbled as he drifted away from the window, the moonlight glancing off his black fur. He made his way over to Adrien's bed and curled upon the pillow, his ears folded against his head. There was a bit of melancholy to the way he sighed, and as his green eyes closed, Plagg started to dream in red and black.

...That is, until Adrien flopped onto the bed and launched Plagg up in the air.

It took the black Kwami a few horrendously awkward seconds to straighten himself out, but afterwards he glared yet again at the blonde mop of hair that was currently trying to hold in his laughter yet again.

"C'mon Plagg," Adrien wiped an imaginary tear from his eye, "I'm just trying to cheer you up. Also, I kinda want to hear about how you and Tikki got together. Is she...your girlfriend? Wife? Soulmate?"

" _She_ 's none of your business," Plagg crossed his arms and turned away from the irritating teenager, but the alluring smell of Camembert caught his attention once again. The gloriously white piece of cheese was being waved around in the air as Adrien pinched his nose, and the cat Kwami couldn't help but float back towards him, albeit reluctantly.

"Please, Plagg? I promise not to make fun of you," Adrien crossed his heart with his free hand, making a bit of a face when he had to release his nose for a few moments, "And I really am interested. I mean, you've been around just as long as Tikki has, right?" Plagg let Adrien hold the cheese as he hugged it, his whiskers twitching every now and again in thought. He glanced over in Tikki's direction once more, contemplating it. It wouldn't hurt to reveal a little information...would it?

"I'll give you extra pieces of Camembert for it," Adrien told him, an obvious bribe. And one that Plagg couldn't help but fall for.

"Done!"

* * *

 **FW09: All right, that's the end of Chapter 1! There's a bit of exposition that has to happen before we get to the meat of the story, but please bear with it! I'm trying not to go too fast, since I have a lot of ground to cover, but I'll definitely let you guys know which chapter Tikki and Plagg actually meet. In big bold letters at the top of the chapter, XD. (Also...I just realized that the backstory section of this chapter was way shorter than all the present-day stuff. It wasn't intentional, but it made me laugh a little, ha.)  
**

 **Note*:** " _Yeah, I guess not," he sighed dejectedly, then he sat upright and began to ponder, "Hmm…how about... Qiji*?"_

 ***Qiji does stand for "miracle" in Chinese, and I chose this name since it's the only one that matches best with Tikki's actual name. The pronunciation is startlingly similar, and I'm really happy that it is. Try checking Google if you're not sure how to pronounce Qiji.** **  
**


	3. Adrien's Bedroom (1)

**FW09: All right! So, we're onto the next chapter, and I want to say thank you to everyone who left a review! It's always encouraging to read positive reviews, and I haven't seen any negative feedback, so it looks like I'm doing pretty okay, heh!**

 **That being said, please enjoy this new chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: the Adventures of Ladybug and Chat Noir. All characters, unless specified as OCs, are not mine.**

* * *

 **Bedtime Stories - Tikki and Plagg**

Chapter 2: Adrien's Bedroom and the City of Ur

"So, how did you two first meet?" Adrien turned off all the lights except for the one near his bed, attached to the skateboard ramp. No one was really going to check if he'd gone to bed - Nathalie had left for the night already, and all the night staff had gone save for the outside security guards who dared not peek inside the house. As for Adrien's father...well, he worked late at his office on the other end of the house, far from Adrien's room. For the most part, Adrien had to learn to be responsible and take care of himself, and that included tucking himself in. However, this time, he dragged his pillows to the foot of his bed and rearranged the sheets so he could lay down on his stomach, facing the windows. It provided the perfect backing for Plagg to tell his story.

"Mmmm...it was before we were Kwami," as soon as Adrien had settled down, Plagg tried to tug the Camembert out of Adrien's hand once more, but the teenager was stronger than he looked.

"Before you were Kwami?" Adrien asked, puzzled, "Hold on, are you telling me...you guys used to be human?" Despite the smell of the Camembert getting all over his hand, there was no way he was letting it go for Plagg to run away.

"Pfff, as if," the cat Kwami laughed, amused by the unbelievable thought, "Me? A 'dorky human' like you? Bwahahahaha!"

"Well, if you weren't human, or Kwami, what were you?" Adrien frowned at the 'dorky' comment, and let the Camembert go. Plagg tumbled backwards by the sudden release of the cheese, but he recovered from the fall with nothing more than cheeks full of stinky dairy product and a grin.

"I was a _God_!" Plagg proclaimed proudly, shoving his tiny chest forward. Adrien said nothing at first, staring down at his diminutive companion before sharing a laugh of his own. Grunting with annoyance, the little Kwami swallowed his meal and then glided up towards Adrien's face, blowing a noxious cloud of cheesy breath directly at him.

"Guh! Awww, sick!" The disgusting smell of fancy, but nose-rotting cheese hit Adrien like a sack of bricks, and he reeled backwards under his covers while trying to wave away the smell.

"Plenty more where that came from!" Plagg laughed in triumph, but he composed himself to continue his story, "Anyway, yeah, I was a God! I was big, and scary, and strong, too! People would worship at my feet, and offer me their cheese!"

"Ughhh...right, and I'm Hawkmoth," Adrien flapped the sheets to rid them of the smell and glowered.

"It's true!" Plagg reminisced on those days fondly, "Man, sometimes there'd be so much cheese, I'd get stomach aches!" The raised eyebrow and skeptical frown told the little black furball that his partner wasn't buying it.

"All right, what?"

"I just can't believe you're a God."

" _Was_ a God," Plagg corrected, licking at his arms to snag any residual pieces of the delicious cheese, "And yeah, dude, believe it. Anyway, back to when I first met Tikki - _there I was, a lone Cat God facing down an army of -_ "

"Whoa, whoa, **whoa**!" Adrien held up his hands, stopping Plagg from going downhill into a babble, "You're not gonna start the story in the middle of a _battle,_ are you? I mean, who were you even battling?"

"I was just about to tell you."

"No, I think you need to start at the beginning. Like, the _actual_ beginning?"

"Ugh, can't I just skip to the good parts where I looked super cool and awesome?" Plagg put his arms over his mouth as soon as he said the words, but it was too late by then. Adrien's green eyes were wide with revelation before squinting, his mouth split into two with glee.

"So...there were parts where you _weren't_ super cool and awesome?"

"Ughhhh..." the cat Kwami put his head in his arms, sighing, "You really want me to start from the beginning?"

"Yup," Adrien propped the pillow under his chin, smirking in anticipation, "And you better be telling the truth, Death-Breath, or it'll be no Camembert instead of extra. For a whole week." Plagg shuddered at the thought of not having his favorite cheese for an entire week, and sighed reluctantly.

"Understood, Monsieur Cheese-Monger..." Plagg settled down and sat on a corner of the bed, crossing his arms.

" _Hmph...now where should I start...?_ "

* * *

 _I guess I should explain that "Gods" weren't what you thought they were. Sure, we were pretty awesome, and we had lots of powers that you humans didn't, but it wasn't like we were some immortal beings sent from the heavens or anything like that. A lot of us were just ordinary animals or plants, maybe even a few spirits who grew up in a naturally magical environment. From there, we absorbed the energy from the Earth, the Sky, and even you humans - which gave us supernatural abilities. Whether they were bad or good all depended on how the humans looked at us._

 _If we gave them good weather for crops, or kept them free from sickness and disease, we were welcomed - the smaller ones were even made into pets. If we caused fires in their fields, or were seen feeding off their livestock, they considered us evil and corrupt. For humans, Gods were only one of the two - and they graded on a strict curve. You could've dedicated your entire life as a God serving humans, but you do one_ bad _thing, and you're Evil._

 _My very first memories were in a place somewhere between Europe and Africa, called the Middle East. Sumer, I think. It was made up cities that were built around lots of oasis, and access to what humans now call the Persian Gulf. And back then, us Cat Gods, and cats in general, were pretty well-liked. We cleaned the streets of rodents, kept away snakes from homes, thought to guard against disease, and even brought good luck.  
_

 _I was the last of a litter of thirteen magical kittens, born halfway on a camel caravan journeying constantly to several other northern Sumerian cities, the next stop being the City of Ur. My mother, a cherished Cat God named Nua, was the guardian of the caravan. She wasn't exceedingly powerful, but her ability to safeguard the caravan from poisonous creatures like scorpions and snakes was highly valued on her owners' travels. And my twelve brothers and sisters would eventually grow into their abilities, just like my mother.  
_

 _Me, on the other hand...well..._

 _It all started on the morning after my mother gave birth, inside the small cat carrier on the first camel of the caravan. The merchant who owned the caravan, named Ba'al, discovered us and told his wife the news. She, Cybele, was a large dark-skinned woman, who wore white robes and gold bangles that dangled heavily from her thick wrists. There was a lot of fussing noises when she found my mother, exhausted from the ordeal.  
_

 _"Oh, look at our Nua," Cybele cooed from the front of the camel that was carrying us, and pet my mother's head lovingly, "She must be so proud! And her kittens are just adorable!"  
_

 _Too weak to protest, my mother watched as the human took her children one by one into her embrace. When I opened my eyes* for the first time, I remember seeing her round, glowing face, overly caked in rouge and makeup, and her murky brown eyes. There was a brief pause before she started pressing kisses over our noses and mouths, and I'm pretty sure all of us turned red from her painted lips at one point or another._

 _"Yes, they'll make fine gifts for the noble families in the future," Ba'al turned towards his wife, holding the reins of the camel tight as he walked in front of it, "However, we'll most likely need to make a few sacrifices..."  
_

 _"What? What are you talking about?"_

 _I gasped in relief when Cybele stopped kissing me on my muzzle, and savored the fresh air. She was relentless, and my siblings and I mewled loudly to show our protest at Cybele's refusal to release us back to our mother._

 _"We are already deep into the desert, my love," he grimaced as he looked at my mother, "And Nua is weak."_

 _"I still don't understand," Cybele kept us clutched to her bosom, the lurching of the camel over the sand dunes making her body sway in time to the motion of the beast._

 _"Cybele..." her husband sighed and gripped the reins of the camel harder, "We only prepared for a few kittens. But we have thirteen newborn magical beasts._ Thirteen _! That means thirteen more mouths to feed, and they won't stay small for very long." The merchant's wife stared down uneasily at us, then at Nua who called to us tiredly and worriedly.  
_

 _"If anything unfortunate were to happen, it is even possible that we may not have enough to feed Nua, let alone our own troupe."_

 _"Oh Ba'al...but we can't," she shook her head, smearing her rouge on her white kufiya**, "Nua has been so good to us. And if we killed her children? What if she turns into an Evil God?" Dark eyes went from Cybele, to Nua, then to the us._

 _"Good Gods don't turn evil," he scoffed lightly, then reached a hand up to scratch behind the ear of one of my brothers, "But you are right, my love. Nua has served us well. We cannot pay such service with disservice." Relieved, Cybele gave our heads a quick peck before releasing my siblings and I back into our mother's care._

 _"Such a pretty one, you are," she whispered to me, and stroked my head before I could crawl away, "I will name you Dak'n***, and dress you in gold!"_

 _Heh. Looking back on it at that moment, my future didn't look too shabby. Despite Cybele being so grabby and clingy all the time, I was guaranteed a home, humans who would feed and care for me, and a long life of worship and adoration ahead of me. And in return, I would give my owners protection and blessings._ _At least, that's what the humans assumed. However, they never stopped to wonder why - out of all of my siblings, who were orange tabbies or white like my mother - I_ _was the_ only one _who was born with black fur._

 _During the next few days that followed, strange things started happening on the caravan. Rope bindings on one of the camels came undone, causing the loss of several supplies and goods for trade. When inspected, it was found that the rope had rotted, despite being brand new. And when the merchant's wife lost her favorite pair of gold bangles, it was found tarnished and broken in two, hidden away in the satchel on the rear camel. The bodyguards and workers started to suspect that an Evil God had descended upon them, and had cursed the caravan. Ba'al, on the other hand, had his suspicions when he found me rummaging through one of the head camel's bags..._

* * *

"So, basically, you caused trouble even when you were a kitten?" Adrien interrupted with a smirk. Plagg was starting to look tired, as if drained from remembering his history and beginnings. Crossing his arms and sighing, the cat Kwami rolled his eyes at his human partner.

"Hey, a desert caravan is boring, OK?" He floated up towards the blonde, pointing a finger at the boy's nose, " _You_ try being cooped up on the back of a camel for days on end, _then_ you can talk."

"I'm just saying, it sounds like you caused a lot of trouble."

"Well...it wasn't my fault, not really anyway," Plagg shrugged, circling Adrien's head once before settling on a corner of the pillow, "Magical beasts have a hard time controlling their powers when they're born. They're not like spirits, who get to practice and grow their powers safely before getting a physical form." Again, Tikki sprung to his mind, remembering when they had shared their origin stories together.

"I guess," Adrien followed suit and shrugged under the sheets, "But it also doesn't sound like you were being that secretive about it."

"Well, duh!" Plagg gave an exaggerated sigh, "I was a newborn! How was I supposed to know that my Destruction abilities were 'evil'?! And like I said, the humans back then had a strict grading curve!"

"All right, all right, I get it," Adrien cringed at Plagg's outburst, actually worried that someone might hear, "You were really young and didn't know what you were doing. I get that. Please...continue." The blonde model hadn't realized how sensitive a topic this was for the little cat creature, and shelved the teasing for another day/night.

"Hmph," Plagg breathed, regaining his composure, "Right, so where was I..."

* * *

 _Ba'al had been keeping a close eye on us, since he was afraid that the Evil God might've been targeting my mother and my siblings. It wasn't too unusual in those days. Magical beasts were like any other animal - and everybody's gotta eat. The source of all the commotion, though, was me._

 _My Destruction abilities were stronger than that of my siblings, and I wasn't even aware that I was using them half the time. Nearly everything that I played with started to rot or corrode, and my mother was at her wit's end trying to cover for my messes and confine me to the head camel's carrier. It didn't stop me from escaping every now and again, though. And every time I did, more things were found broken or decayed._

 _Little did I know that Ba'al had figured me out, and had a plan already in place._

 _On the day we entered the City of Ur, the entire caravan sighed with relief. Though several of their goods were lost or destroyed during the trip, the majority of the cargo was safe, and the workers busied themselves with setting up the booths. No one wanted to take chances with the bad luck they'd been experiencing, and Ba'al instructed Cybele to begin infiltrating the market and popular trading areas. A master of gathering information, spreading gossip, and analyzing trends, the merchant's wife was happy to get to work._

 _"Oh, let me take my Dak'n," she cooed as her husband took the cat carrier off of the head camel, "I want to buy him some gold accessories - with that beautiful black fur, he'll be the talk of the entire bazaar!" I shuddered inside and buried myself in my mother's fur. She had tried to put several of her own pieces of jewelry on me before, resulting in their mysterious "disappearance"._

 _"No, it'd be too dangerous," the dark-skinned merchant waved his free hand at her, "We still don't know if that Evil God is following us and the kittens. If it finds you alone with one of them..." He didn't have to say anymore as Cybele stiffened, though her face was still dismayed by the missed opportunity._

 _"I understand," she gathered her robe in her hands, lifting them to avoid dirtying them on the sandy floor of the bazaar, "But make sure you keep all of them safe, my love. There's been reports of thieves in Ur." He nodded to her, and watched as she permeated the bustling crowd, waiting until she was out of sight. Then, he turned to my mother, eyes dark and mouth set in a grim line._

 _"I am sorry, Nua," he stroked my mother's head, and she licked his hand lovingly in response, "So...so sorry." She gave a confused meow before pulling me out of the carrier, and locking my mother and siblings inside. I could see the panic in her eyes, the realization, and she started scratching at the door furiously. The bazaar drowned her pained yowls as Ba'al took me away, and started towards one of the wells at the edge of the city. Me, on the other hand, I was excited. I'd never been in the city, and all the new smells were tantalizing._

 _"Dak'n," the merchant spoke my name apologetically, and I looked up at him, "I am sorry, little one. You are so powerful, even now. And_ _I can't risk the well-being of my family and business."  
_

 _"What do you mean, Ba'al?"_

 _The merchant stopped in his tracks and looked at me in surprise. He was right - I_ was _powerful, and growing stronger each day. I had already surpassed my mother, who never had the power to speak to humans in their tongue, and could even understand his words._

 _"...You're Evil, Dak'n," he continued in a shaken manner, "An Evil God. Or at least, will be one day. You cannot be allowed to live."_

* * *

Plagg grew quiet, recalling this particular moment of history, and Adrien clutched his pillow against his chest uncomfortably. Once more, the grandfather clock ticked away, its pendulum creaking in the dead silence of the house.

"He was going to kill you," the blonde boy spoke finally, looking away from Plagg. Adrien knew what it was like to be judged by everyone, but it had always been from the positive end of things. He was 'Adrien Agreste', famous Parisian teenage model and son of fashion-powerhouse Gabriel Agreste, who becomes the beloved Chat Noir to fight Akumas in a crime-fighting duo with Ladybug when available. He couldn't imagine the feelings of someone who was declared 'evil' from birth, just by being who he was.

"That's how it was back in the day," the cat Kwami replied blankly, "If Ba'al let me live, his own head would've been on the chopping block." Adrien looked back at the cat creature, eyes wide.

"Evil Gods were greatly feared, Adrien," Plagg sighed, rubbing his cheek with the back of his arm, "If you were caught hiding one, or even worse protecting one, you were considered a criminal."

"But you weren't evil," the boy protested, his breathing getting heated.

"Not in the way you're thinking, no," Plagg nodded and poked Adrien in the cheek to calm him, "But my powers weren't exactly innocent either. And Ba'al had a difficult choice, too."

"He didn't have to kill you," the teenager muffled his words into his pillow, "He could've just let you go."

"Hmmm," the cat creature chuckled, and crossed his arms with a lazy, knowing smirk, "Exactly."

"...Wait, what?" Adrien blinked at Plagg, "No...did he...?" Miniature, pointed teeth flashed at the boy as Plagg held up an paw, floating over to the bedroom light to turn it off.

"Sorry, but that's all I have for tonight," the teasing tone in the Kwami's voice didn't do anything to ease the unsatisfied feeling in Adrien's chest, "Besides: it's late, I'm tired, and I can tell by the lack of that delicious smell that you don't have anymore Camembert." Once off, Adrien could feel his eyelids start to droop, experiencing the exhaustion fully without light or story to distract him.

"Continue tomorrow?" he grumbled tiredly, and Plagg nodded, "Good..." With a long yawn, Adrien nestled into his pillow as the cat Kwami hid himself in one of Adrien's drawers. Comforted by the silk clothes that Adrien rarely used, he started to close the drawer for some privacy before he felt something prick his consciousness. It wasn't unpleasant, by any means, and he purred into the sensation - like something smoothing the fur along his head, rubbing at his ears and whiskers. Green eyes closed softly before springing open, and he nudged the drawer so that it was open just a crack - big enough for him to stare in the direction of the feeling.

"...Missed me, huh?" he whispered with a cocky grin, tail curling beside him, "Night, Spot."

...

...

...

 _Goodnight, Furball._

* * *

 **FW09: All right, finally finished! This chapter actually took a while because I had started off really dark - darker than even this one. However, I felt like Plagg's character in the show really didn't reflect any TREMENDOUS tragedy in his life, so I scrapped it. Then I started on this version and felt like it fit a bit better. His backstory is definitely darker than Tikki's, just because - hey, bad luck and destruction ain't exactly "Good God" material, ya know? But don't worry, there's still some good moments to be had moving forward from here.  
**

 **To address some of the starred moments here that I felt might need explanation:**

 **1)** _When I opened my eyes* for the first time, I remember seeing her round, glowing face, overly caked in rouge and makeup, and her murky brown eyes._

 **\- Since Plagg and his siblings were 'magical creatures', their growth rate is a bit more accelerated than a normal cats. Thus, their eyes can open shortly after birth, even though a normal kitten's eyes should be closed up to seven to ten days.**

 **2)** _"Oh Ba'al...but we can't," she shook her head, smearing her rouge on her white kufiya**, "Nua has been so good to us. And if we killed her children? What if she turns into an Evil God?"_

 **\- "Kufiya" is a Middle-Eastern headdress that consists of a scarf or piece of cloth that is wrapped around the head for protection against the sun. Having you guys Googling it would've been just as easy, but eh - I can make that little bit of extra effort once in a while, right? XD  
**

 **3)** _"I will name you Dak'n***, and dress you in gold!"_

 **\- There was literally no name that resembled "Plagg" in the Arabic or Sumerian dictionary. Or, at least the extent of Google. So, I found "Dakin", which can be pronounced more like "Dagg" in one translation, which means "dark" or "black" in Arabic. I might have people correcting me on this, but for the time being, Plagg's ancient name is "Dak'n".  
**

 **Phew! So, as always, be sure to leave me a review to let me know if this series is doing good or not, and if you have any questions! I didn't have any questions from my first chapter, so I didn't have any to answer this time. But, if you guys leave a question for this chapter, I'll be sure to answer it in the next one. See you next time!**


	4. Marinette's Bedroom (2)

**FW09: All right! So last time we got a glimpse into both Tikki and Plagg's past - as did Marinette and Adrien. Are you eager to find out more? I sure hope so, because we're going back to Tikki's side of things! And compared to Plagg, she managed to progress through her story much quicker, so this will go a little slower.  
**

 **Additionally, I know that this fanfiction is supposed to be about Tikki and Plagg, but I hope everyone likes the interactions between the Kwami and their holders as well. I figure friend-fluff is also very important. And since they do try to show it on the show, why not showcase it here, too?**

 ***EDIT: I realized that this was unfinished after I published it, thinking that I had completed the backdrop for the story when I hadn't. OTL So I'm reposting the chapter, with a bit more illustration on what happened to the Liu family when Tikki got her luck powers. Anyway, let's get on with the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Thomas Astruc is the creative owner of Miraculous: The Adventures of Ladybug and Chat Noir! All characters, except for OCs, are not mine!**

* * *

 **Bedtime Stories - Tikki and Plagg**

Chapter 3: Marinette's Bedroom and Uncle Jianyu - Part 1

"Marinette...Marinette..." Tikki gently called in a sweet voice, "Time to get up, Marinette."

Unless there were special events regarding a certain blonde boy, Tikki found that waking up the bluenette was easier said than done. The two alarms that Marinette had prepared the night before had gone off already, but in a nearly automatic response, she had hit the snooze within a few seconds. Tikki, however, had woken up just fine, and snuggled one last time into the soft pillow before trying to wake up her holder. Sighing, the ladybug Kwami instead drifted over to the window, making sure no one was looking before closing her eyes and basking in the morning glow of the rising sun.

There was just something about the first rays of sunshine that were so luxuriously warm, so precious, to Tikki's heart. It was one of her favorite moments of the day, and she practically melted into the desk in contentment. Flocks of morning birds echoed across the wakening Parisian streets, and Tikki giggled when a lost starling wandered to the windowsill. Its large eyes stared at her, jerking to and fro as it tried to get a better look at her.

"Hello," she waved lazily, a dreamy smile on her face as she scanned the dark feathers of the morning bird. It reminded her of her own certain someone, though she still hesitated to call him that. Neon green eyes, slit-pupils. Sleek black fur, a Cheshire-grin. And that long, lean tail - that particular appendage had crept into her dreams last night, along with a smug phrase uttered in nasally, catty tenor.

 _"Missed me, huh?_ _"_

"Uggghhhhh..." Tikki put her face into the desk, antennae drooping to sprawl across the wooden furniture. Few Ladybugs ever really pried into Tikki's history, and fewer still the history she shared with Plagg. She never thought that Marinette, of all people, would be one of those few. It had been nearly 200 years since her relationship with the cat Kwami last came into question, after all. But...now that Plagg was brought once more to the forefront of her mind...

 ** _WEEE-WOOO-WEEE-WOOO!*_**

"Wha-huh, Tikki?!" Marinette rocketed out of bed, her eyes disastrously wide, "What's going on?!" Marinette scanned the room, but all she saw was a fleeing starling and her desk littered with knocked-over knick-knacks.

"T-Tikki?" the bluenette brushed a few of her messy bangs out of her eyes and continued looking around. She glanced at her alarm clocks and gasped at the blinking red numbers, blaring silently.

"Marinette, are you awake, sweetie?" her mother called, as if on cue, "I heard your alarms going off, so I thought you were getting ready already. It's almost time for school!"

"I'm almost done, Mom!" she lied awkwardly, jumping out of bed and towards the bathroom, "Be out in a sec!" A furious few minutes later, and Marinette had managed to brush her teeth, fix her hair, change her outfit twice, and jam all of her school supplies into her backpack. She ran towards the door that led downstairs and nearly left until she realized that Tikki had yet to reappear.

"Tikki?!" she whispered as loud as she could, her face a sweaty pink mess from the hurried exertion, "Tikki, I have to go, c'mon!" Finally, she heard a tiny sigh from above and saw Tikki clutching the ceiling like a startled cat.

"What happened?" she asked, opening her bag automatically. The red-and-black Kwami let go of the ceiling and floated down like a fragile flower, slipping into the bag quietly.

"Just remembering why birds are scary," came the soft and embarrassed response, and Marinette remembered the starling from before. She wanted to laugh, but as she glanced at her clock, the bluenette couldn't. It was about five minutes until Collège Françoise Dupont closed its gates to start its lessons, and they had a strict policy on students who arrived late. She remembered her first time having done so, and the horrible gut-wrenching feeling of having her name announced across the courtyard on the PA system. Her homeroom teacher, Miss Bustier, had to stop Literature for a few minutes and walk out to unlock the gate for Marinette, before marching her to the classroom in front of everyone, watching from their respective rooms. It wasn't pretty.

"All right, good luck, hun!" Sabine Cheng waved expectantly to Marinette as she sped past her mother and out the bakery, nearly hurtling into a mime who was passing by their store. She chuckled at the way her daughter fumbled to apologize to the silent performer before running at break-neck speed towards the school.

"You think she's gonna make it to the collège on time?" Tom Dupain came back into the main store, looking on worriedly.

"It's Marinette," his wife gave a chaste kiss on his cheek, laughing, "She'll think of something."

* * *

Seven hours later (and about two and a half of those hours spent using her Ladybug Miraculous...including sneaking into school after the gates closed), Marinette slunk back home with a yawn and several pieces of homework weighing down her bag and her heart. It wasn't that she wasn't intelligent, but Mrs. Mendeleiev's homework did take an extraordinary amount of time to do. And having to split time between homework and the spontaneity that is being Ladybug wasn't easy.

"Phew, looks like today's Akuma battle cost you more time than you could spare," Tikki was currently going over the homework in Marinette's bag, "This is a lot of homework."

"No kidding, Tikki," she looked at the setting sun as she marched along home, "Think you can help me out with some of them?"

"Well, history maybe," the ladybug Kwami stuck her head out of the bag cautiously before offering a hopeful smile, "Plenty of experience there."

"Yeah...speaking of history," Marinette changed the subject subtly, craning her neck back to look at Tikki, "Are we going to continue from last night?" The ladybug creature blinked and sunk back into the bag, sighing contemplatively.

"You should be focusing on _real_ history, Marinette," she shook her head, "Not mine."

"Awww, c'mon, I've been thinking about it all day! It was so interesting - hearing about Gods, misdirecting mortals, and your mysterious date with destiny - oooohhhh!" the bluenette wiggled her fingers with a moan, as if she were casting magic, "Oh, sorry - I meant your mysterious future with Plagg."

"Ha ha, very funny," she looked up, the bluenette's teasing causing a smile to appear on Tikki's tiny face. The little Kwami rose out of the bag and leaned on the open zipper cheekily, her head tilted to the side.

"And I hope you know that _I_ know your mind was more on Adrien and his new skinny jeans than anything else." Marinette flushed bright red and sighed. She never could win with Tikki - she was just too knowledgeable about Marinette's life and habits.

"You're impossible to tease, you know that?"

"Comes with over 5,000 years of experience of having to deal with other Ladybugs, Marinette!"

* * *

A couple more hours later, and Marinette had finished her homework miraculously - pun intended. Tikki had helped her with history, which was the quickest, and was able to read through the other textbooks quickly while Marinette was finishing her history homework. From there, all she needed to do was point Marinette to the right page, which sped up the process considerably.

"So..." Marinette looked at the clock and was pleased by how early they finished, "Does this mean I get to hear more about you and Plagg? Or at least the rest of your story with Huang?"

"Well..." Tikki had to admit, the bluenette had done a great job of staying on task. She'd only started talking about Adrien three times during the study session, and twice about Chat Noir's antics.

"Please?"

"Mmmm...okay," she gave in, and Marinette fist-pumped in the air, "But only after you get ready for bed. Might as well make this a proper bedtime story." A small squeal escaped the bluenette's mouth and she ran towards the bathroom in a hurry. Tikki was a bit slower in this regard, drawing back the comforter and turning off the lights lackadaisacally.

It was hard for the ladybug Kwami to think about what came next in the story - and she wondered how Marinette would take it. On one hand, being as truthful as she could with Marinette had always been Tikki's number one priority. On the other, if it affected their relationship negatively, Ladybug's transformation could grow weaker as a result. Tikki sighed, then jumped when Marinette burst out of the bathroom, humming happily.

"So, you saved Huang's home and drove away the bandits," Marinette was drying her hair with a towel, rubbing it vigorously as she recalled the last few moments of the story, "Then what?"

"Well..." Tikki took a few deep breaths, sitting down on the back of the desk chair, "Let me see..."

"...What's wrong, Tikki?" Marinette was always observant, and it didn't take much to see how unsure the little Kwami looked, "You can tell me. Or...don't, if that's what's really bothering - "

"No, no," Tikki took one last breath and looked at Marinette, her eyes much less sparkling than before, "I promised I'd tell you how Plagg and I met. And this is an important part."

' _It's just not very pleasant,_ ' Tikki added secretly, and she gave an uncomfortable sigh.

"All right," Marinette walked over to the Kwami and took her in her hands. She gave her friend a little squeeze, hugging her with as much tenderness as she could. The bluenette, in retrospect, realized that Tikki's long history wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows - nobody's would, if you lived as long as Tikki. And she remembered the tiny bug-mouse mentioning that 'it was hard to be nice back then', or something like that.

"Thanks, Marinette," Tikki snuggled into Marinette's embrace, letting her carry her to the bed, "...I'm ready now."

* * *

 _Nearly half-a-year after the bandit incident, Huang's relatives all gathered at their house to congratulate them on another successful harvest. Huang's father, Liu Zedong, had declared proudly that their household was blessed, and presented me as their resident God of Luck. It was unexpected, but seeing the happy cheers and congratulatory remarks, I couldn't bring myself to correct them. I still considered myself a normal spirit, albeit with some intense powers of luck, but my attention was still focused on tending to my home in the fields, which had grown larger to incorporate more expensive crops._

 _The Liu family home, once a little stilt-hut, had also expanded into a sprawling square siheyuan**. It wasn't nearly as large as a nobleman's, but it sported one main family building, a dining hall for parties, two guest bedrooms for accommodating visitors, and a large foyer that was the entrance to the compound. Boulders that were dug up during the construction were placed outside as a reminder to never forget your foundation or your roots, and carved with characters representing 'compassion', 'moderation', 'humility', 'spirit', and 'luck'. In the middle laid a sand garden, and a stone path that led to a comfy wooden shrine for me to reside in. Prayers were still fairly private and joking in nature, but the ominously powerful and respectful feeling it gave off made me proud and honored. It also made the Liu family relatives rather excited, to think that a powerful God now favored them._

 _There were even a few who asked if I could visit their fields once in a while, hoping to share in the good luck and fortune that I brought, and Huang's father agreed enthusiastically and in bragging fashion. This was perhaps the source of all our problems, and I remember feeling a cold chill run through the house when Huang's mother, Chunhua, announced the arrival of someone unexpected._

 _"Huang, your Uncle Jianyu's here!"_

 _The joyous laughter and excited chatter died down nearly instantly. It was as if someone had just unsheathed a sword._

 _"...What did she just say?"_

 _"Uncle 'Jianyu'?"_

 _"What's he doing here? Is he going to ask for money?"_

 _"Quick, hide the millet wine!"_

 _"Tian, come here, quickly. Don't come out from behind me, do you understand?"_

 _Many of Huang's relatives were not very fond of Jianyu. Whispers and rumors echoed through the kitchen, talking of his love of gambling, women, and liquor. This wasn't uncommon for the poorer families in the region, to have a black sheep in the family, but Jianyu's unabashedness was well-known. To an uncomfortable degree. And it didn't help that Huang's mother was Jianyu's younger sister and only sibling, which meant she was responsible for him until he was married._

 _"Come out, meet your Uncle Jianyu!"_

 _Huang gave me an uncomfortable look, and sighed. As the eldest of his siblings (his parents gave birth to two more sons and a daughter), Huang had to greet every relative that came to visit - no matter who they were. I floated next to him and sat on his shoulder, comforting him quietly. What his relatives had said only served to cause unease. Huang stepped outside the house and was greeted with the sight of his mother standing by a man who was sitting crookedly on a boulder. His head was mostly bald, save for a long braided queue*** that tumbled down across his right shoulder. He wore the common dull colors of peasantry, and had threadbare sandals for footwear. Tanned and worked skin flexed and stretched as the man smiled at Huang...and me._

 _"Heheheh...so this's the infamous God everyone's been talkin' 'bout." His voice slurred a bit, and only one of his eyes seemed to be open. When Chunhua stepped out of the way, I covered my mouth quickly, for fear of gasping too loudly. Exposed skin along his chest and arms showed severe bruising, patterned like fists. Huang's mother motioned for us not to stare at them, and not to speak a word about it.  
_

 _"Hello Uncle Jianyu," Huang's voice was barely above a whisper, not daring to look at the man directly._

 _"Hello, Mr. Jianyu," I followed Huang's example, bowing my head deeply._

 _"Hmmm..." there was a shuffling noise and a rustle that got closer. Huang looked up slowly and I had to stifle a squeak when we saw his face only a few inches from ours. His breath had a terrible stench of spoiled wine, and the one eye I had thought simply closed was in fact swollen shut._

 _"I heard stories..." he spoke in a way that set my antennae on edge, like the way the air is charged before lightning strikes, "Of bandits who became honest citizens because of a bit of luck."_

 _"...Qiji grants people good luck," Huang admitted slowly, unsure of the man's motivations, "And takes care of our fields."_

 _"I see," Jianyu resembled a serpent, his eyes focused on me as if ready to strike, "Has she granted_ you _luck, little Huang?"_

 _"Our fields are bountiful and our land free from bandits!" Zedong spoke, stepping out of the house as soon as he heard the news, "The Liu family has never been so lucky."_

 _"Then surely the Liu family can spare a little luck for a downtrodden relative?"_

 _"No amount of luck will save you from yourself, Tang Jianyu."_

 _"I beg to differ, dear brother-in-law, because I have an offer that you can't - "_

 _"You are not welcome here anymore!" Huang's father spoke thunderously, and Jianyu's forked tongue slipped back into his mouth, "I know what you've done, Jianyu, and I will not tolerate it any further! Not when our future is so bright." Huang turned to look at me, then at Chunhua in question, but she only covered his ears. She looked at me pointedly to not say a word - to anyone about the matter._

 _"Whatever do you mean?" Jianyu turned to look at Chunhua, "My visits have only ever been social, haven't they? Chunhua?" She didn't speak, and only turned her head away. He stiffened and then started to bristle violently, like an alley cat._

 _"Look at your brother when you are spoken to, **Chunhua**!"  
_

 _"That is enough!" Zedong marched towards Jianyu and grabbed him by front of his robe, "You do not speak to my wife like that again - ever! And you will not bully her into giving you money behind my back! She is no longer Tang Chunhua, but Liu Chunhua, my wife, and you will treat her with respect!" He shoved the bruised man backwards, causing him to fall into the mud with a splat. All the while, Huang stared at the confrontation without hearing a single word. His father was a large man who had toned and conditioned his body from hard labor, but never had he nor I seen him use that strength until today._

 _"Stop...please."  
_

 _There was an audible silence that permeated the air. All of the Liu family had watched from the house, talking among themselves about how fitting it was for Jianyu to be thrown out like this. Yet, when Chunhua spoke up, they stopped. Huang's father froze in his steps, and looked at her in disbelief. Jianyu, on the other hand, only cracked a grin and got up from the ground, dusting himself off._

 _"...Why, Chunhua?" Zedong straightened his posture, "He has done nothing but borrow money with no intention of returning. He does not contribute to the household. He brings shame to his name and ours. Why, why defend this man, Chunhua?"_

 _"I did not want Huang to witness his father murder his uncle," she stated in a trembling voice. The answer was shocking to both Zedong and Jianyu, who each expected something different. However, Zedong nodded after some time and looked Jianyu straight in the eye._

 _"Never come back, Jianyu," he warned as he straightened his sleeves, "This is the last time you cast a shadow on this family - do you understand?" With a quiet, but restrained look, Huang's uncle bowed slowly and slunk away, though he did cast a glance over Chunhua and us. For the rest of the evening, we tried to forget the event, but Huang and I couldn't. We'd spend most of our time playing or out in the field, working with Zedong, to realize anything serious. Now...we both had our suspicions._

 _"Qiji...why do you think we've never heard of Uncle Jianyu before?" Huang and I had arrived at the far end of the fields when he asked the question, at the border of a dense forest. The calls of cranes sounded overhead, their winged bodies outlined in the setting sun, and a few ladybugs still lingered in the cooling air._

 _"...I wish I could say, but I don't know."_

 _Chunhua had asked me to keep quiet about Jianyu's bad habits, so...I lied. It was better to feign ignorance than it was to explain, and it wasn't my place to anyway._

 _"Tian told me it's because Uncle Jianyu is bad luck," Huang continued, guessing in lieu of my answer, "That 'money flies from his hands faster than a sparrow'." Listening to his cousin's explanation, I mulled over Zedong's accusations. I believed naively that all humans were good, but Jianyu had a different aura from the Liu family altogether. There was just something so upsetting and disturbing about him - like looking into a broken mirror or trespassing in a graveyard.  
_

 _"Qiji?"_

 _"Yes?" I was broken out of my reverie by Huang's call, and noticed him smiling._

 _"So, you'll do it?"_

 _"Do what?"_

 _"Grant Uncle Jianyu luck! If you can give Uncle Jianyu a little bit of luck, maybe he wouldn't be so sad! Mother said that no matter what, family is family. Could you help him, please? I promise you all of my moon cakes for a whole week!"_

 _I fumbled for an answer, trying to come up with a reason not to, but everything pointed to me telling Huang the truth about his uncle. There was an indescribable feeling of guilt mixed with responsibility - I couldn't tell Huang because his mother asked me not to, but I couldn't outright say 'no' without Huang asking why. Sighing, I rubbed my cheek uneasily.  
_

 _"...Would...would it make_ you _happy?"  
_

 _Huang gave a tilt of his head, as if he didn't understand. Then, he gave another little smile._

 _"Yeah, it would!"_

 _"...All right," I rose from his shoulder, closing my eyes, "Then we must do this properly."_

 _"Really?!" Huang jumped up and down excitedly, "What do we have to do?"_

 _"...We must meet with your Uncle Jianyu."_

* * *

Tikki gave a slight shudder, as if a cold wind had blown through the room. Marinette had long since released Tikki from her hold, and she was perched on the edge of the bluenette's bedpost, re-telling the unsavory part of her past with unease. Perhaps it was the fact that the lights were turned off, or the way the shadows were cast across the room, but Tikki felt as though Jianyu's spirit had passed through, watching her with those snake-like eyes once more.

"I wish...I'd never agreed to do it," the tiny creature whispered, looking downcast and regretful. Listening quietly, Marinette was sitting against the wall while on her bed, her knees tucked into her chest. She suspected that tonight's chunk of history was going to be bad, but she never expected to hear the subjects of bullying or family in-fighting. Worse yet, Uncle Jianyu sounded like a total creep and nightmare of a relative.

"You couldn't help it, though, right?" Marinette looked down at her knees, scratching at a fuzzball that formed on her pants leg, "You couldn't disappoint Huang."

"But I knew..." she mimicked the girl's pose, wrapping her arms around herself as she sunk down the bedpost into the comforter, "I knew that Jianyu wasn't a good person. I could _feel_ it. If only I'd told Huang the truth, then maybe..."

Tikki bit her lip as her tiny chest stung with old wounds. It was one of her first, unpleasant memories - and reliving it with Marinette, who was just as sweet and kind as Huang, was painful.

"I'm sorry, Tikki," the Miraculous holder let her legs relax, opening her arms to the Kwami, "I never would've asked if it hurt you this much to remember it."

"...That's okay," Tikki forced a little smile, "We already started the story. And I promised I'd tell you all of it." She floated towards Marinette, and the bluenette embraced her immediately.

"...Are _you_ all right, Marinette?"

Surprised, the concerned teenager looked down at Tikki with a puzzled expression.

"I'm not the one reliving a traumatic moment," she scoffed lightly, and gave her friend another little hug, "I should be asking you that."

"It's just..."

Tikki found it hard to explain. Some of the things she'd experienced in her past weren't pretty. Some of them weren't even decent. And if Marinette thought that this was the worst of it, then...

"Tikki, not only did we just learn about 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame', the non-Disney version," she added, "But we teenagers also have something called the 'Internet'. There are literally real-life news stories that are scarier than what you just told me." Marinette smiled at Tikki reassuringly, with a touch of sympathy.

"I'm grateful that you're trying to protect me, but I can handle it. Promise."

"...You're really grown-up, Marinette...you know that?" Tikki laughed a little, showing a real smile for the first time that night.

"I know," she gave a mock flick of her hair, giggling along with Tikki at the gesture, "Now...why did you have to meet with Jianyu?"

"Huang asked the same thing..." Tikki took a deep breath, and began her story once more.

* * *

 **FW09: OK, folks, that's the end of this chapter! LOL Don't worry, this one's a two-parter, so you won't have to wait or sit through Plagg's side. This was originally going to be one whole chapter, but as this started stretching into 6,000-7,000 words, I figured that it might be a little too long for one chapter. I'm trying to aim for maybe 4,000 to 5,000 at most, so that I don't overwhelm myself and can keep up a regular schedule.**

 **If you guys would prefer the longer version in one chapter in the future, let me know! They'll take longer to make, but each chapter would be solely dedicated to either Tikki or Plagg, and it'd be one massive read.  
**

 **With that out of the way, I have one more thing to explain:**

 **1)** ** _WEEE-WOOO-WEEE-WOOO!*_**

 **\- The sound that scares Tikki is the starling's cry, mimicking a French police car. European starlings are known to copy sounds to enhance their songs during mating seasons. The more you know...**

 **2)** _The Liu family home, once a little stilt-hut, had also expanded into a sprawling square siheyuan**._

 **\- A siheyuan is an ancient Chinese residence or compound that usually is a courtyard surrounded by four other buildings to make a square. Larger siheyuans are a sign of wealth, since it can be used to house a nobleman's entire extended family.**

 **3)** _His head was mostly bald, save for a long braided queue*** that tumbled down across his right shoulder._

 **\- A queue was a Chinese hairstyle that involved shaving the front part of your head and braiding the rest so that it hung down in the back. I do understand that the Chinese only started wearing their hair like this after the Hun invasion, but I decided to include this hairstyle for a very specific reason, which you'll see in the next part.**

 **And that's it folks! Hope you enjoyed the first part of the "Uncle Jianyu" arc, the next part will becoming soon!**


	5. Marinette's Bedroom (3)

**FW09: Oh hey y'all! Back for another chapter! Cool, very cool. Also, I hope the multi-update of Chapter 3 didn't put everyone off...heh...**

 **Really sorry about that guys. I got a little distracted making the third chapter, but I hope you guys enjoyed the extra little tid-bit about the Liu residence. Had a bit of research to do on that, but if I got anything wrong please let me know! And again, thank you for everyone who decided to give this fic a chance and either reviewed it, gave it a favorite/alert, or just generally read it!**

 **All right, now with that out of the way, let's continue!**

 **Disclaimer: The wonderful team at ZagToons and Thomas Astruc made Miraculous: The Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir, not me! All characters, except for OCs, are theirs and not mine!**

* * *

 **Bedtime Stories - Tikki and Plagg**

Chapter 4: Marinette's Bedroom and Uncle Jianyu - Part 2

* * *

 _By the time I had accepted Huang's request, the day had already begun to turn into night. Soft orange and pink hues mixed with the darker colors of the sunset, splashed against a cloud-streaked sky. Zedong, versed in telltale signs of weather, encouraged everyone who had traveled long distances to stay until the coming storm passed. This inevitably led to more merry-making among the relatives, most of whom had indeed come from far away. Their laughter and bright lamps guided Huang and I home as we conversed about how to deal with Uncle Jianyu._

 _"Invoking luck is harder than it looks," I explained, my antennae twitching in thought, "My field magic is easy because I was a field spirit. Luck is something different altogether."_

 _"But you did it when the bandits came," Huang retorted, following behind me as I flitted back towards his home, "Can't you do it again?"_

 _"Well...it's sort of like..." I tried to come up with a way to make him understand, "Having two tools - one you know how to use, and one you don't."_

 _"Two tools?"_

 _"Mhmm. My field magic is my first tool. I grew up using it, and knew how to control it from the beginning. It's not very strong or amazing, but it works well," I held up my hand and a dot of green energy burst forth. I let it flow from me to Huang, and it danced across his features like a firefly. With a laugh, he swatted it away and rubbed his face._

 _"My luck magic is my second tool. It was given to me by chance, and I haven't had time to learn how to control it yet. At best, I can use 'brute strength' to make it work, but it's not the same as knowing how to handle it properly."_

 _"Like...when my dad tried to teach me how to chop firewood?" Huang grunted as he had to step over the fence that surrounded the family field, "He kept telling me where to chop, but I just kept swinging as hard as I could when I couldn't find it..."_

 _"Mhmm, that's right," I sat atop his head, giving my wings a break from flying, "Using my newer abilities also drains me, so if I don't know who or what I'm using it on, the energy that makes it happens just flows right out of me!" Huang looked up, even though he couldn't see me, and gave a little 'oh' of understanding._

 _"Is that why you went to sleep every time a bandit came?"_

 _"Yup. The first time I used it, I was so tired, I could barely even fly!" I nodded and peeked over his forehead, "That's why we need to meet with your uncle. I've been practicing lately, and found out that focusing my luck-invocation on something in front of me uses less energy!"_

 _"Okay! Only...one problem," Huang took me off of his head and held me in his palms, "Father banished Uncle Jianyu from the house. Mother told me we'd never see him again."_

 _"Well..." I glanced back at the Liu family house, "Huh? Is that...?"_

 _Huang followed my eyes and saw his uncle sneaking around the siheyuan quietly. The sun had set finally, and it was rapidly turning to night - perfect for the dark clothes that Jianyu sported. He seemed to be watching for Zedong in particular, ducking immediately when a man's shadow would pass by, and hid himself carefully just out of sight from the windows._

 _"What's he doing?" Huang asked loudly, but gave a small choking noise as I dragged him behind one of the boulders. I peeked out to see if he saw us, but Jianyu continued to stalk along the perimeter of the house, unaware that he'd been spotted already._

 _"Probably hiding from your father..." I whispered before he could ask again, "He's forbidden to return, remember?"_

 _"I know that," the boy retorted in a pout, then peeked around the boulder with me, "But why return?"_

 _"Hmmm..." I narrowed my eyes, "I'm not sure...but whatever it is, it can't be good." Huang and I watched as Jianyu reached up every once in a while, searching for something as he slipped his hand through the gaps in the floors. And every time he did, a frown would appear on his face, as if disappointed, and took his hand back - empty._

 _"Maybe he forgot something?" Huang asked naively, but I shook my head._

 _"He never stepped foot inside the house," I turned to look back at Huang, anxious and uneasy, "Let's go get your father."_

 _"What?!" he crossed his arms, and I winced at the volume of his voice, "You just told me you'd help him!"_

 _"Shhhh!" I calmed him down and took a quick peek at Jianyu, but he still seemed too preoccupied to notice, "It's just...oh Huang, I know what I said, but I just...I don't have a good feeling about him!"_

 _"...Is it because he's actually bad luck?"_

 _Brown, narrowed eyes stared at me, and I could hear Chunhua's voice in my head, swearing me to secrecy._

 _"I suppose so...it could certainly happen," my conscience was really starting to hurt at this point, "Humans can be cursed to have bad luck by Evil Gods. And...it's a really strange feeling, so - "_

 _"Then all the more reason we should help him, Qiji!" Huang stared after Jianyu, pitying him, "Poor Uncle Jianyu...cursed by an Evil God."_

 _...Right. Sure. Let's go with that._

 _"C'mon Qiji, we should go talk to him!" Huang urged me, and began walking along the boulder outcroppings that surrounded the compound. I started to protest, but it fell on deaf ears as he continued onward. Shrugging and sighing, I followed him slowly, and observed the situation._

 _Ever since I saw Jianyu back at the compound, unease had been rising in my stomach like boiling water. There was no doubt that Jianyu wasn't there to beg for forgiveness from the family, especially Zedong, but he wouldn't resort to stealing, would he? It had taken me some time to realize that not all humans were good, since the Liu family was so kind and generous, but I believed, and still do believe, that family was sacred. However, Jianyu seemed to be in dire straits, and to bully Chunhua into giving him money was something that bordered on desperation. I glanced up at Huang, who still had no idea what had transpired, and my insides squeezed painfully out of guilt and pity. I couldn't tell him...not now._

 _"Uncle Jianyu," Huang whispered as he arrived silently. Instead of reassuring the older man, though, Jianyu whirled about with wide, bulging eyes. For a second, I thought I saw his hand go into his robe to pull something out, but he relaxed when he realized who had spoken._

 _"Little Huang," he gasped hoarsely and clutched his heart weakly, "What are you doing here?" He looked around quickly, as if Zedong was going to pop up somewhere._

 _"I asked Qiji if she could spare you some luck," Huang explained quietly, and held me up in his hands, "She said she'd help you!" Jianyu blinked at me, then stared at Huang flabbergasted._

 _"...Maybe my luck really is turning around," he mumbled as a smile wormed its way to his face, "Excellent, little Huang! Now what must I do? Pray? Offer something?" He started patting his pockets, but I held up my hand to stop him. I took a deep breath and steeled myself, pushing aside the nagging doubts and insecurities. This was for Huang, and that's all that mattered.  
_

 _"You only need ask, Mr. Jianyu."_

 _"I see...then, I wish for luck in my next venture!"_

 _I looked up at Huang, and he shrugged apologetically. The way his uncle spoke was crude and vague, and it didn't help that he didn't seem the least bit regretful for having caused that scene earlier. Sighing, I drifted up to Jianyu's eye-level, crossing my hands to lay demurely over my hanfu._

 _"Could...could you be a_ little _more specific?" I asked politely, my antennae twitching as I prepared myself for the invocation._

 _"Why?" his nose crumpled in confusion, "Just grant me luck, as much luck as you can!"_

 _"Well...what if it's luck that you don't want or need?" I glanced upward and watched the shadows of the dancing men and women pass above us, "For instance, the fortune I grant you could be luck in love. Is that what you were hoping for?"_

 _"No..." Jianyu groused, crossing his arms._

 _"Then perhaps you could tell me?"_

 _"..."_

 _Agitated and unsure, the bruise-patterned Jianyu peeked at Huang, who was watching our exchange intensely. I took the hint, but I couldn't say anything without making him curious. Spending so much time with him was not only fun, but...a little too knowledgeable about when I was trying to misdirect him. Needless to say, surprises were never successful with this kid._

 _"Little Huang, why don't you go be a look-out? Tell us if anyone is coming our way, hmm?"_

 _Surprised, both Huang and I looked at Jianyu, who jerked his head to the front of the siheyuan. A clatter of something ceramic made us all jump, and the drunk laughter of rowdy Liu relatives echoed above. After a nervous second or two, Huang nodded and ran towards the entrance of the residence, hugging the stilt that held the entryway with wide eyes. I focused my attention back on the dark-clothed man in front of me, alert and guarded._

 _"I owe money to a man that I gambled with," he stated plainly, crossing his arms with a small twinge of pain, "5000 shells*." From the Liu family, I learned the concept of money, and in those days, 5000 shells was a fortune, more than a man of Jianyu's status could ever hope to collect._

 _"Then...what is it that you need luck in?"_

 _"Grant me the luck that the bandits received," he held out his hand as if I could materialize money from thin air, "Enough to pay back the man I owe, plus a new robe. My brother-in-law has broken it beyond repair."_

 _Jianyu's robe had indeed suffered, but I was certain that it wasn't just Zedong's rough handling that caused it. More likely it was whoever caused those bruises - making me realize why Jianyu had run to the Liu household, and his behavior towards Chunhua. Shaking my head, I agreed with Zedong - if Jianyu continued down this road, he would never change and would continue to make the same mistakes over and over again._

 _"...Mr. Jianyu," I pushed his hand down, trying to remain calm in face of the ludicrous request, "Luck works in mysterious ways. Even I myself don't have full control over it. How much you'll receive and when...I can't give you a direct answer. You may receive your 5000 or more shells within a day, or perhaps it'll even be just 100 shells in 10 years."_

 _Although the bandit incident showed how powerful my luck could be, it wasn't guaranteed that Jianyu would experience the same thing. Additionally, I wanted to prevent anymore 'blackout' events, in which I expended all of my energy and had to recover in the spiritual world. During the bandit incident, there would sometimes be days that went by in the physical realm, while it only seemed like a few minutes during my recovery._

 _"It all really depends, Mr. Jianyu," I continued my explanation, "It could also come in the form of an object, or a person. However, when I do bestow it, and I will, it is up to you to figure out how to use it or how to approach them."_

 _I didn't know it at the time, but men like Jianyu don't take kindly to not being given exactly what they demanded. It took him a few moments to process the information before he understood that I couldn't just give him the money like he wanted. The complexity of luck and its ways were beyond him, and, perhaps it was the pain of his body, or the stress of his burden, but Jianyu simply...snapped. Sourness and impatience stretched across Jianyu's feature, with a streak of scarlet running across his cheeks, and I saw his hackles raise like an angered animal. He even bared his teeth, and swiped his hand like a claw, grabbing me forcefully..._

* * *

"He grabbed you?" Marinette interrupted softly, "Tikki..." It had been nearly an hour since the immortal creature had begun her tale, but the concerned teen was wide awake and listening to the story intensely. She was curled up beneath her Adrien poster and Tikki noted that the bluenette was squeezing her pillow with enough force to choke the life out of a baby elephant.

"It's all right," she couldn't help but laugh a little at Marinette's reaction, and calmed the girl with a few gentle touches on the back of her arm, "I was a spirit remember? Becoming intangible was - is - one of my natural abilities." To emphasize her point, Tikki sunk into the bed slowly, letting her entire body phase through the comforter and mattress. Marinette reached her hand out to feel the spot where she'd disappeared into, a cool spot left in her wake.

"So...he didn't hurt you?" she asked, and Tikki popped her head back up through the bluenette's hand.

"Of course not," the Kwami began to smile, but it morphed into something sad and regretful, "But...Jianyu didn't have to...to get what he wanted..."

* * *

 _At least, Jianyu had_ tried _to grab me. Long, cold fingers brushed my tail, but I turned intangible as soon as I saw his arm move. He swiped at me several more times, each swing more frustrated and angry than the last._

 _"Stay still, you little - !"_

 _"Mr. Jianyu, please!" I ducked another arm swing, trying to reason with him, "I'm trying to explain how you can - oh!"_

 _One of his swings had gone through my head, causing my vision to blur and my senses to twist in an awkward fashion. Nausea lurched in my throat, and I turned away for only a few moments to settle myself. However, by the time I had recovered, Jianyu had set his sights on someone else._

 _"Q-Qiji?"_

'No...no, not him. Please...no...'

 _"...Huang?" my voice croaked._

 _I felt my insides grow cold as I turned around, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't him. Unfortunately, my worst fears were realized as I saw Jianyu holding my friend hostage, one hand wrapped around Huang's mouth, and the other holding a knife poised shakily on his throat. Teary eyes pleaded to me in terror, and he kept tugging at the bruised, but burly hand that silenced him. Jianyu wrenched at Huang's jaw for good measure, the small muffled cries for help turning into squeaks of pain._

 _"I might not be able to catch you, God," Jianyu spat, his snake eyes dark with greed and desperation, "But little Huang isn't as slippery. No more asking nicely - grant me luck in wealth, or else." I had half a mind to shout, get the adults' attention, but he made a point of sticking the knife further into Huang's neck. A bead of blood formed where it connected, and my lips snapped shut in quiet fear._

 _"All right..." I waved my arms, making myself fully tangible, "All right...I understand. I'll give you the luck you wish for, but know that I cannot control it. It will be up to you to figure out how best to use it. And once I do...you let Huang go." Jianyu hesitated before giving a slow nod, glancing down at the young boy with apprehension._

 _As I concentrated and focused my power into my hands, the physical world began to slip away from me. Darkness crept over every rock and tree, over the Liu residence, even the ground beneath our feet - until it was only Jianyu and Huang were in front of me. The laughter of the party, and the crickets who were alerted to the shift in natural energy slowed in a distorted discordance until it stopped altogether. With one last final strained grunt, I flew towards Jianyu's body, erupting into a bright ball of hot, white light..._

 ** _And disappeared._**

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Who do you pray to when you're a God? Maybe something in the spiritual world? Or a more powerful God? The concept of prayer was 'human', but I could understand the need for guidance during times of uncertainty and doubt, and this was one of those times._

 _I don't know how long I floated around for, exactly, but I remember waking up surrounded by tiny lights in the spiritual realm. Exhaustion and weakness were weaved into every fiber of my being, and there was a headache that was worse than any I'd experienced. Spirits that I'd encountered every now and again would tell me that this would happen if I pushed myself for a human's sake, but I promised I'd never put myself in that position. Well...until then._

 _Several passing spirits noticed me, but upon seeing the lights, left me alone and assured me that I was well taken care of. I didn't realize it then, but as I grew stronger, I could hear voices from the tiny lights. The first was from a strong orange light, sparking and bold - the voice was Zedong's! Reaching out an arm, I drew the light close and listened to the garbled words. The next was a soft yellow light, this one's Chunhua's, and it was a sad calling. Slowly but surely, energy poured from their words - prayers - and I was brought back faster than I would have normally. Eventually, as a day or two had passed in the spiritual realm, I could feel myself grow strong enough to manifest myself in the physical world._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _"...Look, she's coming back!"_

 _"The God's returned! The God's returned!"_

 _"Welcome back, Luck God!"_

 _Soft, but relieved words echoed around me as I materialized back in my shrine, and I opened my eyes slowly, hopefully. Many round, anxious faces filled my vision, but none of them were the ones I wanted to see. I floated above the crowd of the Liu family and continued my search, darting here and there between the bodies and waving hands._

 _"Huang?! Huang?!" I called out, but he didn't reply, "HUANG?!"_

 _"...I'm here, Qiji..."  
_

 _I spun around to see Chunhua and Zedong standing off to the side, their hands holding Huang's shoulders. His nose was red, and his eyes puffy, but he seemed to be all right. All the while in the spirit realm, I had nightmares of him hurt or worse, but to see him no worse for wear caused waves of relief to wash over me.  
_

 _"Huang..." I sighed gladly, and flew down to meet him. Only...he didn't look at me._

 _"Huang?"_

 _"I'm sorry..." his voice trembled, in such a way that nearly broke my heart, "I'm so sorry, Qiji...I n-never should've..."_

 _Hiccups interspersed his apology, and tears started to dribble down his face. I flew to him, panicked and beginning to form tears of my own._

 _"You didn't do anything wrong, Huang, don't - "_

 _"You disappeared!" the young boy looked up and startled me with his outburst, "You just...vanished...and n-no matter how m-much I c-called you...you never c-came back!"  
_

 _Large, glossy tears dripped from his eyes, and he brought his hands to rub away the blurry vision. I sniffed and smiled at the child, a few tears of my own slipping down my red-black cheeks. He was much too kind - after all, he was the one in danger, not me. I floated to him and placed my hands on one of his, gently. He hiccuped and blinked rapidly, unable to control his breathing._

 _"Shhh...shhh..." I made soothing noises and patted his hand, "But I did come back...didn't I?"_

 _He dropped his gaze and sniffed, making several gasping noises as he tried to bite back more sobs. Having none of it, I floated to look up at him, smiling broadly._

 _"...I did, Huang," I answered for him, chuckling, "And I'd do it again, if it kept you safe. You are my friend, Huang...and I would never want you in harm's way."_

 _I frowned and closed my eyes in shame, recalling Jianyu and his knife. Anger sparked along my brow when I opened my eyes and finally noticed the bandage that was tucked into the collar of Huang's robe, covering the wound. I huffed in disgust and pursed my lips._

 _"If only I'd warned you better about that...that..." I controlled my temper, seeing as how Huang was watching me, "That coward!"_

 _"It was my fault, Qiji," Chunhua spoke up, kneeling to look both Huang and I in the eyes, "I didn't want Huang to know the truth...that sometimes blood can betray blood."_

 _She turned Huang to her and wiped away his tears with the sleeve of her robe._

 _"I'm so sorry, Huang," she hugged him tight, comforting him, "But do you understand now? Why we had to send Uncle Jianyu away?"_

 _"Y-yes," he tucked his chin towards his chest in a solitary nod, and sniffed again, "I understand."_

 _As I watched the Liu family reconcile with each other, and the relatives rejoice that not only Huang was safe, but that I had returned, I was relieved and reveled in the peace and harmony that washed over the siheyuan. And yet...in that calm moment, my actions nagged me and the charged, sick-to-the-stomach tension that Jianyu projected seemed to linger in the air, like a bad smell. I looked out towards a pair of mountains where the sun settled itself and prepared for sleep, ominously causing its golden rays to be swallowed between dark peaks and shadows to rise like water to a sinking ship. Whatever had happened after I had cast my magic and fell back into the ether, it wasn't the end, but the beginning of something_ legendary _. Good or bad, I wasn't sure, but for sure, legendary it would be._

* * *

Marinette watched as Tikki finished tale dramatically with a swish of her tail, and she gave a few soft claps in response. The ladybug Kwami giggled at the awestruck expression on her face and flew to hug Marinette's cheek, giving it a squish.

"So...you never saw Jianyu again? And Huang, was he traumatized? I mean, his parents lied to him, Jianyu held a knife to his neck, and - "

"Ah-ah-ah," Tikki shook her head and pointed to the clock, "It's 11:03 PM. Unless you want to be late to school again, no more questions, only bed."

"B-But..." Marinette started to whine, even when she felt the ever-familiar fatigue weigh down her eyelids.

"We can always continue tomorrow night if you really want to, Marinette," she gave the bluenette teen a nudge, and got a groan from the sleepy girl.

"Fine...but at least tell me..." she pulled the covers around her as Tikki shut the lights off, "How come Huang didn't pray to you? You said you heard Zedong and Chunhua calling to you, but you never said anything about Huang."

The tiny ex-God chuckled at Marinette's question, and settled on the pillow with a sigh.

"That's what worried me," she gave a little yawn, "But actually, Huang was just praying to a different God." Marinette's eyes went a little wide, and she sat up for a moment.

"Wait...isn't that...'cheating'?" she made air quotes with her fingers, "Sort of like if you pray to one God, like Jesus, and then start praying to...I don't know, Buddha?"

"No," Tikki laughed sleepily, waving her arm as if to say 'no big deal', "Praying to a different God back then was more like...asking to borrow some flour or for a favor. It was really informal in those days. And, as long as you had the right price, you could even get some of the more powerful Gods to assist you."

"Right price?" the kind, benevolent bluenette wasn't sure she liked that term very much.

"Mhmm..." the Kwami yawned again, patting the hand that was closest to her, "But I can tell you about that later. C'mon Marinette, let's go to sleep."

"...All right," she didn't seem satisfied by the answer, but she really was too tired to argue, "Good night, Tikki."

"Good night, Marinette..."

The Parisian teenager went to sleep with dreams of snake-like eyes and fairy lights that night, but before that, she also wondered about where Plagg fit into all of this. It had started with how she met the other Kwami, but he still had yet to appear in the story. Several theories sprung to mind - one being that he might've been a human she encountered later, or maybe was Huang himself? Maybe he was another God, maybe the same one Huang prayed to? All of these questions swirled about in her noisy cranium, making it hard for her to sleep, but once she listened to Tikki's slow breathing and the quiet tinkling of the windchime outside, the weight on her eyelids returned.

' _...At least Jianyu's out of the picture...for now,_ ' was her last thought of the night, before sleep came and carried her away.

* * *

 **FW09: Oh my goodness, that took longer than expected! Sorry for the long wait everyone, I got writer's block as I was coming up with the ending for this particular arc, and was super tempted to make it into a three-parter. Then I realized I could still make it a two-parter and just start a different mini-arc to explain the rest of the story, so we can finally move onto Plagg! Yay!  
**

 **LOL You know you need to change things up when you start getting tired and overworked writing one character's backstory.**

 **So, moving on, here's the only little note here to explain:**

 _"I owe money to a man that I gambled with," he stated plainly, crossing his arms with a small twinge of pain, " 5000 shells*." _

**\- In this period of time, Chinese trade mostly involved bartering with goods or shells as currency. And when I say shells, I literally mean shells - like 'she-sells-seashells-down-by-the-seashore' kind of seashells. Bronze/metal coins came after shells as a form of currency, but that part of the story has definitely not come to pass yet.  
**

 **And last but not least, in order to keep things fresh, I've been looking into other fandoms to write about and am starting to fall in love with Katekyo Hitman Reborn all over again! If you guys know what that is, let me know what you think in a review or a PM! I've already started hashing out ideas - like having a female Tsuna instead of a male one, and trying to figure out if I want to go the reverse-harem route that is pretty common, or try to pick someone. I might just even do a drabble series, since that would let me explore different options.**

 **Again, if you have any questions, also drop me a review or a PM and I'll try to answer it in the next chapter/send you back a PM in kind. Thanks for reading! And Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!**


	6. Adrien's Bedroom (2)

**FW09: Hey hey hey, look what I got, a new chapter!  
**

 **I'm actually pretty surprised about how few questions I've been getting, but at the same time, that means that maybe I don't have too many weird plot holes/mistakes? Yay!**

 **Also, caution: by the time this chapter gets uploaded, I should have changed the rating to M. And it's because of this chapter. I read the ratings guide just to be sure, but please be warned: this chapter will have a scene about violence. If you're not comfortable, I can put a "buffer" chapter removing the violence and implying/hinting at it to keep the T-rating. The M-rated chapter (this one) would still remain, but specifically have the M-rating. Let me know what you guys think.**

 **Disclaimer: Y'all know the drill - I don't own Miraculous or the characters. Just the story and OCs.**

* * *

 **Bedtime Stories - Tikki and Plagg**

Chapter 5: Adrien's Bedroom, Banda, and Zida- Part 1

* * *

"C'mon Plagg, we gotta get ready for school!"

Adrien got up on the first ring of his alarm, and rearranged all of his sheets quickly. No need for Nathalie to question why he was sleeping the wrong way in his bed, and report it to his father like she always did when something seemed out of the ordinary. When he didn't get a response, the blonde teen rolled his eyes and sighed. This was pretty much their normal routine - wake up early, try to wake up Plagg and fail, get ready, try again and fail, then when he was ready to leave, he'd lure Plagg into the bag with cheese.

However, when he went to nudge the little black creature from sleep, he noticed something a little different about the Kwami. A little smile was on his face, and his tail was twitching into a curl. Adrien's hand paused, stopping an inch or two away from poking the round head, and pulled away eventually. Who was he to wake the little 'God' from his seemingly-happy dreams? Deciding to just let the cat sleep in until he himself was ready, Adrien tiptoed away from the drawer and went straight to the bathroom.

Plagg, on the other hand, continued to dream on, his head filled with a sweet, slightly sarcastic feminine voice. And a pair of crystal blue eyes that were all-knowing, as much as they were gentle.

' _Goodnight Furball._ '

He sighed into the silk-sock bedding happily, red and black scraps of memory forming slowly, but surely, into a solid image of Tikki. Unfortunately, as sunlight crept into the room and flooded the drawer, the little black cat Kwami was roused from slumber and murmured grumpily in complaint. Again, he was left with nothing more than her eyes and her voice.

"Mmmmnnn..." he glared at the sun, just as it glared back. He was so close to reconstructing her in his memory, but it'd been so long. He frowned deeply, grumpy and annoyed at the image slipping through his mind like sand through fingers.

"All right, Plagg, you ready?" Adrien moved in front of the drawer, shading Plagg from the cursed sun.

"No," came the smarmy response that had the boy smirking, rolling his eyes.

"Not even for a little Gruyere?" a good chunk of the pale cheese was clutched between his fingers, and Plagg's eyes grew wide.

"Mmmm...not quite Camembert, but it'll do," the cat licked his lips and leaped onto Adrien's hand, following when the cheese went into his bag.

As he opened his mouth and started savoring his meal, Plagg glanced up at Adrien through the crack of the bag. The boy had really come into his own since they'd started working together, forming the notoriously charming Chat Noir. Much easier to guide than some of his previous Chat Noirs, that's for sure, and he snorted at the memories of some of his more...reluctant partners. Yet, this was perhaps one of the few who ever really asked him about his past.

Most of the humans he'd met just brushed him off as some lazy, cheese-loving cat - not that they were _wrong_ , mind you - and he was fine with that assumption. He loved his privacy, and better yet, not being disturbed when eating exotic cheeses. However, there were quiet moments. Moments where he'd remember his favorite partners, or even when he was a God, and that's when he'd miss talking to someone. Usually, that someone being Tikki.

Plagg's inner monologue was interrupted when he felt the bag thump on the floor of the classroom, causing him to jolt against Adrien's pencil bag and phone. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the cat Kwami grabbed the pencil bag expectantly and raised it so that Adrien could reach it with ease. Sarcasm and chagrin coated the reflection on his current predicament.

 _'Yet another mundane duty of the Kwami of Destruction - handing school supplies to children.'_

A small catty smile spread across his face as he wondered what Tikki would say. No doubt she was in the same situation. He took a sly look behind him, towards the back of the classroom, where he had felt her before.

Yes, Plagg knew who Ladybug was. Just as Tikki knew who Chat Noir was.

However, unlike Tikki, who believed in keeping the teenagers' identities secret, Plagg just thought it wasn't his business. Humans always made things too complicated. If they really wanted to know each others' secrets, let them work it out. And if they preferred to not know, then let sleeping dogs lie. That was the expression, right, _Tikki_?

...

Plagg glanced back again, his green eyes boring holes through thick cotton, steel chair legs, and fleshy human legs. She was there, he knew she was. And after that night when they'd de-transformed, Plagg couldn't get rid of the nagging curiosity. How many spots did she have, exactly? What shade of blue were her eyes? Did she still like rubbing her cheeks when she was frustrated, or flustered? These questions had answers once, long ago. _Achingly_ long ago. And in spite of that, Tikki still had him wrapped around her finger. He flicked his tail in annoyance, but couldn't help sweeping his eyes back towards Tikki's direction as the day dragged on...

* * *

Tikki never really left Plagg's thoughts, even after the day's events of battling akumatized villains and school. He flew out of Adrien's bag as soon as they were safe in his room, and sat on the boy's desk, staring at that same spot where Tikki's signature was.

"Still thinking about her, huh?" Adrien grinned again, and wondered mildly if that's how he looked when thinking about Ladybug.

Plagg gave a little _'you're a little smart aleck, you know that, right?_ ' look before returning to stare at the wall.

He really, _really_ wanted to see her. Talk to her. Just a greeting or two would do. Though, he already did get one the other night...and she initiated it, surprisingly enough. It wouldn't be weird if he started sending her a few words back, then. If she broke protocol, why couldn't he?

Start off with a casual greeting, like... _'How's it going, Tikki?'_

Or maybe something flirty like ' _I knew you missed me, Spot'_?

Plagg sighed, continuing to think about what to say to her as Adrien shrugged and opened his notebook to start his homework.

 ** _One hour later..._**

...Then again, it wasn't quite a greeting. And she hadn't chosen to contact him again afterward. Was she mad at him when he asked if she'd missed him? No, no, of course not. If she was, she wouldn't have bothered to reply.

 _Goodnight, Furball._

She even used his 'pet' name for her, pun not intended. She couldn't have been mad at him...right?

Adrien left a small plate of Roquefort cheese by the cat Kwami's side as he returned from the dining hall, having eaten dinner by himself - yet again. He laughed silently into his hand while Plagg recognized the smell and pawed for the cheese absentmindedly.

 ** _Two hours later..._**

She'd managed to keep quite for nearly two centuries the last time she was furious at him. That Kwami could hold a grudge. And the urge to see her was so strong this time, he couldn't risk it...even for just a little acknowledgement. Right? No? Yes? _Maybe?_

Adrien rolled his eyes at Plagg as the teenager finished the last vestiges of his homework and powered up his PC to check the latest on the Ladybug Blog.

 ** _Three hours later..._**

...Plagg sagged and face-palmed, shaking his head. This was getting him nowhere.

"So, you left me on a cliffhanger, buddy," Adrien broke Plagg from his merry-go-round thoughts, "Wanna tell me more about what happened between you and Ba'al?"

Grateful for the distraction, the cat Kwami gave a tired yawn and stretch, turning to see Adrien wearing his designer pajamas. He blinked once, then twice, and swiveled his head to see the clock read '8:15 PM'. Had he really been thinking about this for over three hours? He flopped backwards, his eyes bleary and his head sore.

"Ughhhh...maybe if I had a little motivation?" he groaned, craning his head back to look at the boy insistently.

Adrien was already ahead of him - a big slice of Camembert was cradled in his palm, little wafts of stench reeking its way to Plagg's twitching nose. With a lick of his lips, he zipped over to the meal and hugged it happily. Cheese was good. It never gave you headaches and never made you wonder if it liked you or not.

"So...?" Adrien placed the cheese and Plagg on the dresser before getting into his backwards position - head at the foot of the bed, and his feet at the headboard.

Just as the cat Kwami was about to devour the cheese, he paused. Ah. _Right_. Tonight's tale was going to be...graphic. Maybe more graphic than a 15-year old could handle. His green eyes drifted over Adrien's fussing and re-arranging, his tired mind now grappling with this new dilemma.

"So...you really want to know what happened between me and Ba'al, huh?"

"Well, heck yeah," Adrien finished his preparations and settled on his back this time, staring at Plagg on the dresser, "I mean, he didn't kill you, but _something_ happened."

"..." Plagg bit off a piece of Camembert and chewed it slowly, thinking about his response carefully, "We might want to skip it."

"What?!" Adrien covered his mouth and glanced around, waiting to see if anyone was going to come. Luckily, it looked like nobody was around to hear them.

"You can't just...leave me hanging, Plagg!"

"Tch," the cat Kwami scoffed and sighed. He flipped and flopped his tail, chewed his Camembert, and let his mind wander back to Tikki. What would she do?

"...Hmph. Just brace yourself, all right? This isn't exactly one of my... _finer_ points of history..."

* * *

 _"I'm not evil."_

 _Ba'al blinked at me when I spoke those words. And for a few seconds, he looked like he believed me._

 _I mean, being evil meant hurting humans, didn't it? And no matter how many times Cybele or the other caravan workers held me, I never hurt them. Sure, some things went missing and rotted, but my power never hurt the humans. I couldn't be evil. Never._

 _"I'm not evil," I repeated, and Ba'al continued to stare at me, "I'm not."_

 _"Dak'n..." Ba'al seemed to struggle with himself as he explained, "You destroyed our caravan goods. Our livelihood. And sooner or later, others will notice."_

 _"I didn't mean to," I twisted in his grasp, trying to rub my head along his palm in apology, "I'll be good. I promise!"_

 _"You can never be good!" he yelled at me in frustration, then composed himself, "What you do is...unnatural. What you do is not 'good', it never will be. You can never... **be** good. Do you understand, Dak'n?"  
_

 _My ears twitched and I tilted my head slowly in confusion. I didn't realize that...he was explaining that humans would never see me as anything more than what I could do. What my_ powers _could do. That I would always be an Evil God in their eyes. A harsh, cruel fact.  
_

 _"It is all right. You need not understand," he scratched under my chin with his thumbs, "Not for much longer."  
_

 _There was such a sadness to his voice, and all I thought about was how to make him feel better. I twisted in his hands, making sure to rub against his fingers in comfort. He let me readjust myself...before he let my body fall through his fingers, and his thumbs found the hollow point in my neck._

 _"B-Ba'al?"_

 _He didn't respond. Chills ran down my spine, blood turned to ice in my veins, and my instincts flared sharply. This was dangerous. Whatever was happening was dangerous. I squirmed in his grasp, struggling to get my head free.  
_

 _"Wait, stop, stop!" I felt his hands trying to hold me tighter, and I raked against the back of his hands with my claws, "Please, Ba'al!"  
_

 _"It won't be much longer," he replied finally in a grunt, "The pain will go away...once you die. I...promise..."_

 _For all the scratching that I was doing, he was clever - he had wrapped his hands in thick cloth. It prevented me from hurting him. Me, on the other hand, well...it felt like my neck was about to snap._

 _"_ _ _D-don't do this!_ " I gasped as he squeezed, "Please, please, please, don't...don't _do _this!"_

 _Tears pricked my eyes from the pain, and I started to choke on my words. And all the while, I could feel something terrible brewing underneath my fur, pulsing and throbbing as my heart tried to push blood past the thumbs strangling me. However, I pushed it down with every last fiber of my being, and used my voice to try and reach him. After all, I couldn't scratch or struggle my way out. Words were all that I had.  
_

 _"I'll be good, I promise...I'll be...good," I started to sob, even as I could feel my consciousness fading, "I don't..._ hic _...I don't want to...die..."_

 _..._

 _A few seconds later, and the pressure on my neck lessened. Desperate, I sucked in hot desert air and coughed on it, stinging my lungs. Ba'al released me slowly, letting me drop onto the edge of the well, and stared down at my limp body with tired eyes. I stared back, my chest burning and my limbs numb, and tears still streaming down my furry cheeks.  
_

 _"...Leave, Dak'n."  
_

 _There was no hate, or anger, or disgust. In fact, his words were soft - calming, even. With a touch of sorrow and tears of his own._

 _"If you don't want to die, leave. And stay away from humans. Words will not save you next time."  
_

 _With that, he turned and retreated back to Ur. I watched him fade into the distance, even with a pounding headache and aching throat. A part of me wondered if he let me live because he pitied me. Another part wondered if it was because he couldn't bear to do it, and would rather have the harsh nature of the desert to the dirty work for him. Either way, I had to deal with the reality that Ba'al...had abandoned me.  
_

* * *

"Need a moment?" Plagg paused in his story as he saw Adrien's eyes grow dark.

"I just...I can't believe he tried to..."

"But he didn't," Plagg sighed and floated to the top of Adrien's head, crossing his arms, "And even after all this time, I don't blame him for what he tried to do."

"He tried to kill you, Plagg!" Adrien gripped the bed sheets in his hands tightly, "Weren't you scared? Sad? Angry?"

"Yeah, for a long while," the cat Kwami looked down at Adrien's blonde locks with a blank expression, tail twitching in thought, "But in a way...he saved me."

"...What?"

"It wasn't common, but there were others who were like me - Gods born with powers that weren't considered...good," Plagg drifted over to the dresser, sitting on top of it, "And whenever that happened, they turned them over to the En or Nin."

"En...or Nin?" Adrien tilted his head, scrunching up his face at the unfamiliar words.

"Priests who served the Great Gods," Plagg opened one of the drawers on the dresser and dragged out a few silk socks, arranging them on his desk against the light to create shadows, "En were the male priests, and Nin were the female ones."

Adrien turned to face the wall to the right of his bed, staring at the shapes Plagg was creating. One was of a falcon with wings outstretched, and below it a cobra poised to strike. A cow grazing brazenly next to a crocodile with open jaws joined the shadows, and at the back of the group was a human with a tall crown and holding a rod. Last but not least, Plagg placed himself beside the bundle that made the man's shadow, completing the picture with a large cat by the man's side.

"Long before my time, six Gods of immense power gathered and worked to protect the cities of Man from both the desert and the Evil Gods," Plagg spoke, the shadow's mouth moving in response, "They could cause rivers to run, sands to shift, and stars to fall. One could even manipulate time."

Plagg shifted the man's shadow to the center of the herd.

"And of all these Great Gods, 'Ea' was the most worshipped, because he could control the one thing that all desert people valued: _water_ ," more fabric moved as he created waves in the light of the shadow that pooled around Ea's feet, "From him, life and cities came. And all Gods bowed before him, even the other Great Ones. Humans especially liked him because he took on a human shape."

Plagg took small boxes from on top of the dresser and arranged them to show rising towers and buildings on the outskirts of the shadow play.

"The most zealous," the cat Kwami paused and smirked, "The most _crazy_ out of all the worshippers were the En and Nin, who acted as 'enforcers' of the Great Gods' wills. They were the ones who dictated what was 'Evil' and what was not. And more importantly, they were the ones who supported catching Evil Gods and forcing them to bend to the will of Man and the Great Gods."

"Whoa, whoa, 'catching'?" Adrien spoke up finally, tearing his eyes from the elaborate dark shapes on the wall to look at Plagg, "I thought you said people were supposed to...kill Evil Gods?"

"Heh, never said that," the black cat clicked his tongue smartly, "Hiding or protecting Evil Gods was criminal. Killing one was also an offense, although a minor one. No, the En and the Nin ordered that all Evil Gods be captured and turned over to them."

"Why?"

"Sometimes they were used for slave labor," Plagg closed his eyes and grew quiet, "And sometimes...they were used for instruments."

The way the cat Kwami glanced over at the various accessories Adrien kept on the dresser made Adrien's stomach drop a little. There were little innocuous things, like a sterling silver crescent moon necklace and matching eclipse-themed watch. Then there were the animal-themed accessories - a shark tooth necklace, a pair of tortoise-shell print sunglasses, and an ivory-carved ring. Adrien was surprised the cat hadn't hissed, the way his eyes narrowed and his fur seemed to stand up.

"Staffs, headdresses, ornaments..." Plagg took a steadying breath, then looked back at Adrien with his ears folded back, "Even rings."

The boy looked down at the silver ring with dawning realization. He jolted from his prone position and nearly pulled the thing off when Plagg flew down to stop him.

"All this time...I didn't realize...you...this ring...I - "

"That's not what the Miraculous is," Plagg laughed as if he'd just played a prank, and Adrien relaxed a little, "But in the old days, the En and Nin did make that sort of stuff. Charms and what not, containing the power and spirit of the Evil Gods they killed."

"So...by Ba'al trying to kill you..."

"He was making sure my spirit wasn't bound to their will," the black cat finished with a swish of his tail, and he settled into a comfortable position on Adrien's bed, "If he'd given me to the En and Nin, I would have been forced into eternal servitude with no rest."

Adrien calmed himself as he thought about the situation, and agreed reluctantly. Sometimes there really were fates worse than death.

"Now, can I continue the story?" Plagg raised an eyebrow, and Adrien nodded, enthralled by the story, "Let's see, after Ba'al left me, I remembered just laying there..."

* * *

 _For a while, I stayed by the well and waited. For what, I'm not sure. Maybe I thought he'd come back for me, in spite of what he'd said. Or maybe I was waiting for someone to come by and take me, not knowing what I was. However, no one came. It was a dried well at the end of a city that moved where the water flowed. Nobody would come unless they were like me - left for dead or Evil.  
_

 _..._

 _Trouble was...that's exactly what came._

* * *

 **FW09: Whoo! Another chapter down! I was struggling with writer's block for a while, but I'm glad I was able to get this done! Again, if anyone is extremely uncomfortable with this chapter's violence rating, let me know and I'll tone it down and post this mature-version as a separate chapter.  
**

 **Also, sorry about the long parts where there's no backstory for Plagg - but the second part should make up for it!**

 **If you liked it or have constructive criticism, please let me know in the reviews or PM if you'd rather not have other people read it! And I'll see you next time!**


	7. Adrien's Bedroom (3)

**FW09: Yay, second part! Just like Tikki's most recent chapters, I had to split this arc into multiple chapters to give readers (and probably more honestly, myself) a break. However, I've decided that while I might be splitting these chapters, I won't start one Tikki chapter and then post a Plagg chapter while in the middle of a Tikki story arc. Like Uncle Jianyu's conflict, I don't want anyone to have to flip-flop between Tikki and Plagg mid-arc.**

 **So, when I have arcs like these, I will keep writing until they're done, promise. And once they're done, then I'll switch over to the other character.**

 **That being said, I'm really excited for you to see this next part! I sort of fell in love with writing the characters for this chapter, and I hope you guys like them, too! (Might've been re-watching Gilmore Girls while writing this, lulz) But, I won't say another word - just go on, read!**

 **Disclaimer: Thomas Astruc and Zag Toons own Miraculous and all characters, I own story and OCs.**

* * *

 **Bedtime Stories - Tikki and Plagg**

Chapter 6: Adrien's Bedroom, Banda, and Zida - Part 2

* * *

 _"...Well, well, well," a deep, gruff voice echoed from behind me, and I started from the lip of the well, "What have we here?"_

 _Trying to gain my bearings, I looked around trying to figure out where the voice came from, but there was no one in sight. Just hot desert sand and remnants of abandoned stone buildings, tufts of dead grass jutting from the sinking structures. And the well. Unease churned my stomach as I peered into the darkness, my heartbeat escalating and my breath quickening in fear._

 _"An appetizer," answered a different voice, this one higher-pitched and coy, "Barely enough for a morsel."_

 _"Question is, who's morsel?"_

 _"Mine's, obviously. You got the last one."_

 _"Wha -_ ** _excuse_** _me?! We split that one, and you got the better end. Or head, I should say."_

 _"Yeah, and_ _ **only**_ _the head. You split it at the neck."_

 _"Mmmm, yeah, well, point is, you got the good bit. Now it's_ _ **my**_ _turn for bits."_

 _"I-I'm not a morsel," I spoke up, interrupting the conversation, "I'm a cat God! You...you better leave me alone!"_

 _My hackles were raised and teeth on edge, rear-end raised as I tried to back away. However, I didn't get far when something thick and ropy rocketed out of the well and looped itself behind me, pushing me towards the perilous edge of the well._

 _"Awww, sweet thing, we heard the whole thing," the feminine voice cooed, and I chanced a glance behind me to see it was the enormous body of a snake coiled behind me, "Abandoned for having a power you can't control. A power that humans find...Evil?"_

 _Again, I could feel my instincts screaming at me - this was dangerous. Dark brown jeweled patterns decorated the small section that I could see, each diamond surrounded by shiny black scales. Its top was a dusty gold, and the bottom a dazzling white etched with sand. My eyes followed where both ends trailed off into the well, and a part of me started to grow cold in realization. This well was tens, maybe even a hundred feet deep. Yet, even with the girth of the beast and the depth of the well, whatever was talking down there was able to throw itself up and over like Ba'al throwing a sack of flour over his shoulder.  
_

 _A hard lump of fear in my throat prevented me from swallowing properly._

 _"Humans, can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em," the masculine voice scoffed, and the smack of lips could be heard reverberating from the dark well, "Seriously, I couldn't live without having one now and again. Now_ _ **there's**_ _a good meal. Should've eaten that fat one when we had the chance."_

 _...Eat Ba'al? As a meal?!_

 _"Well, if you'd been awake in time, we would have," the female hissed in anger, and a thump was heard at the end of the sentence, "You're never awake when I need you."_

 _"And you're never_ _ **quiet**_ _when I need you. Huh, ever think about that?" again, another thump was heard, "Agh! Why do you_ _ **do**_ _that?! You hurt yourself just as much as you hurt me when you do that."_

 _"Because points need to be made," the voices were growing closer, and I wasn't exactly keen on seeing whatever these two were face-to-face, "Any who, I think it's time we finish this. I'm_ _ **starving**_ _."_

 _Suddenly, the coils snapped open and wrapped me tight, my breath caught in my chest. Ba'al was right. Words weren't going to get me out of this mess - I couldn't even breathe! I gasped a few yowling protests before one of the two started dragging their snake-like body back into the well. All the while, panic flooded my system with adrenaline, and I backpedaled from the edge desperately. My claws dug into dried grooves and cracks, but before I knew it, they dragged me over the wall of the well. I was free-falling, my eyes staring after the light at the top of the well, watching it fade into a pinprick in the distance. Wind whistled in my ears, and the dampness that I felt against the snake's body started to make more sense as the walls turned sticky and coated with something wet._

 _And just as abruptly as my fall began, it ended. I was smashed into what I assumed was the rest of the snake, though the coils around me packaged me well so that I was only stunned by the impact. Brain rattled and skull shaking, I shut my eyes to recuperate from the sudden stop. Damp smells invaded my nose, along with some foul odor of something that had died and rotted long ago._

 _"Hmmm...first time we didn't have a screamer," the masculine voice, now sounding alarmingly closer than before, mused out loud, "You didn't squeeze it to death already, did you?"_

 _"Pardon, but I believe that's_ _ **your**_ _muscles, dear," she replied smartly before I felt my body being raised, "Not that I blame you. Look at the little thing - would've lost your grip if you hadn't held it tight."_

 _My ears flicked as I registered warm breath against my face, and I opened my eyes. Unfortunately, the light didn't reach far enough into the well for me to make out what had caught me, but I could see a pair of glowing orange-yellow eyes staring into mine. My heartbeat pounded in my chest, straining against the strength of the massive coils crushing me, and again that strange power thrummed beneath my skin. This time, however, I didn't try to hold back, and felt it build within me, ready to unleash if necessary.  
_

 _"O-oh, what marvelous green eyes..." the feminine voice murmured in surprise, and something flicked out to slap against my nose several times - a snake tongue, probably. And it was much larger than my face...  
_

 _"What do you care about 'eyes'? They'll be in our stomach soon enough," I shivered as a pair of blood-rust eyes shoved the first pair aside, a second tongue flicking out to probe._

 _This was it. I was going to die. And if there was ever a time to use that destructive power, now would be the -_

 ** _CRACK!_**

 _A sharp snap of jaws caused the second's tongue to retreat quickly._

 _"Oi! What's the big idea?"_

 _My own destructive power seemed to retreat back into my body, stamped out by fear of that strike. If they'd had the idea, they could bite my head off before I had a chance. Or, at the best, I'd only be able to get one, and the other would kill me straight after. I closed my eyes again, terrified._

 _"Hold on...there's something about those - oh dear, come now, open your eyes again, sweet thing," the feminine voice seemed interested, less threatening, and I was raised higher as I complied, "Well, would you look at that. That's not something you see every day."_

 _"What?" came the irritated reply._

 _"Thought it was just the dark, but it's an all-black cat God! Remember the last time we saw one of those? With green eyes?"_

 _"...Yeah?" there was unease in the deep tenor._

 _"Oh, it must be!" the coils jostled my tiny body and I groaned, causing the voices to quiet, "...What's your name, little one?"_

 _"No, no, no! Absolutely not!" the thick rings of muscles tightened around me, and I choked out a gasp, "We are not doing that -_ _not_ _ **again**_!"

 _"Why not?"_

 _"Because you just said you were_ _ **starving**_ _! And_ _ **I'm**_ _starving! What happened to sticking to the plan?!"_

 _"Plans change," she hissed and another light nip of jaws was heard again, "Besides, we made a promise, and if there was any right time to keep it - "_

 _"You don't even know if that thing is his!" the male seemed to bite back, the heavy sound of his jowls contrasting against her nips.  
_

 _"Hmmm...black cat with yellow-green eyes that can talk, no, you're right, couldn't_ _ **possibly**_ _be his," sarcasm dripped from her every word, and the orange-yellow eyes rolled away from the rust-colored ones, "Ugh, you're useless. Just...let him breathe, would you? And, um...tell me, little God, what is your lineage?"_

 _Thick muscles of reptilian flesh unfurled around me reluctantly, and I took deep, greedy breaths. I sputtered a response, barely forming words, but I kept trying. Information about my family was a small price to pay for precious oxygen.  
_

 _"N...Nua," I coughed as my ribs filled with new air, "My m-mother's...name...is Nua."_

 _"Nua, Nua, Nua...nope, never heard of it," the masculine voice, which I could now tell belonged to the rust-colored eyes, brushed off my confession, "Well, I guess that's that, time to - "_

 _"And your father?" the feminine voice and orange-yellow eyes encouraged me to continue, a spark of kindness hiding behind slit pupils._

 _Noticing that I was still trying to get my breath back, she allowed me a few moments to compose myself before I continued._

 _"...I never knew my father," I had to think about it for a few moments, drawing blanks, "He wasn't there when I was b-born. And the caravan never spoke about him. But...my mother said I looked a lot like him. His name was Shamar."_

 _"Shamar!" other parts of the snake body thumped against the bottom of the well in recognition, "That's_ _ **him**_ _, I knew it! Oh! Oh...Oh, Great Gods - we almost ate his son. Put him down! Quickly!"_

 _I was lowered slowly onto the floor, though the twitching of the snake's muscles told me there was a great deal of restraint happening. As soon as the snake's body touched the floor, I clambered off and skittered to the wall. Once there, I ignored the sticky, damp feeling that clung to my fur and pressed myself as far into the well's brick as I could._

 _"So, so sorry about all of that, sweet thing," the female's amber eyes warmed considerably, but I still tensed as they approached me, "Poor child, must be scared out of his mind...here, let me get the lights on for you!"_

 _A flash of something neon and I found myself blinded, gasping and curling into a ball. I waited for something to attack me, eat me, but nothing happened. Slowly, my vision cleared with a few well-placed rubs of my paws and stared at the well in wonder. Dense moss crawled over nearly every piece of stone, and carpeted the entire bottom of the well, casting bright light in all directions. It stretched out in webs and clumps, creating pockets of lights like stars and suns. Also noticeable was the size of the place - the opening of the well had been much smaller, and as I gazed upwards, I saw that it had widened considerably. Probably carved out by the creatures.  
_

 _"Well, that's better, isn't it?"  
_

 _My eyes were drawn to the sound of the female's voice and, just as I'd suspected, she resembled a giant snake (it made her comment about eating humans less ridiculous, as her head was about the size of a 6-foot burly man). I couldn't quite make out the color since the moss dyed everything in blue and green hues, but she had the same jeweled patterns that I'd seen in the surface sun, embellished along the top of her long, slender skull. And just above her golden eyes laid horned ridges, like eyelashes, with a_ _ _pair of dark horns curved elegantly from the back of her head._ Strangely enough, a large bounty of silky fur sat just below her chin and stretched a good deal down her belly, like the dewlap or fluff on a female desert rabbit. She bunched up that bit of fur in front of her like she was puffing out her chest, and slithered closer towards me._

 _"Hmmm, never seen one like me, have you?" her mouth curved into a semblance of a smile, "We're 'Amphisbaena'."_

 _"...I-I've never heard anyone with a name like that."_

 _She gave a little, bell-like laugh at my honesty, like the ones Cybele used to do, and I started to feel a little better. At least, as well as I could be, being trapped at the bottom of a well with a gigantic serpent. The dark pulse beneath my skin slowed considerably into a pleasant beat, and warmth crept back into my limbs.  
_

 _"It's not a name, per se, sweet thing," she came closer to me, eyes going half-lidded, "It's what the humans from the old country used to call us as a kind of beast, and the humans here don't quite have a name for us yet. It means 'to go both ways'."_

 _"Why's that?" I managed to squeak out, and she chuckled again._

 _"Take a look at my body," she reared up and unwound her coils, "Go on, go on. You'll understand."_

 _Doing as she said, I took a few steps tentatively away from the wall and traveled along her body. She was massive, that much was for sure, but it wasn't until after a few minutes of investigating did I realize something strange was going on. My mother had taught me all about snakes during our caravan journey, and their anatomy. There was the head, the neck, the main section of the body, then it was supposed to taper off into a tail._

 _The Amphisbaena didn't have a tail. It had a_ second head _._

 _"What're you staring at, morsel?"_

 _That's where the male voice had come from. And the second head was currently sulking off in its own corner, blood-rust eyes glaring at me grumpily. Just like the female, the male had horned ridges along its eyes and horns sprouting from the base of his skull. However, unlike her, the ridges decorated just above the eye socket, giving him a bushy eyebrow look, and there were two pairs of horns that curved back, then forward like horned cattle. Thick, coarse fur covered where his horns originated, like a lion's mane. I jumped when the head noticed me, and bolted back towards the female's side of the body. She laughed, ripples of muscle shaking with her vibrato._

 _"Don't mind him," she allowed me to sidle up against her, and I felt the touch of that fur against my back, "He's just a bit hungry - slim pickings around these parts, and all."_

 _"You...mentioned that," I replied hesitantly, and wondered if the female was still intent on eating me.  
_

 _"Which, if he weren't such a big sweet heart and made sure all the food ended up in **my** stomach and not **his** , he'd be less hungry!" she raised her voice with a nasty snipe, and it reverberated around the well._

 _"Well, I never - " the male joined us suddenly, and I buried myself in the female's fur, "Is that the sort of gratitude you show me after all these weeks?! Do I need to remind you that you are **carrying our children**?! Of course I'd give you all the food, but no - all you do is complain!"_

 _"We **share the same body** , if one of us dies of starvation, then we both die!" she jutted her head towards him sassily to emphasize her point, "Then where would we be?! Dead! And our children, dead!"  
_

 _"Gah! It's impossible with you!" he turned away and went back to his corner, shaking his head._

 _"Yeah?! Well, I could say the same about you," she huffed in exasperation before turning to look at me nestled in her fur, "Sorry about that, um...um...oh, I never did get your name."_

 _"I'm...Dak'n," I replied shyly, popping out of her fluff as though I were wearing it, "It means 'dark'."  
_

 _"Ohhh, how fitting," she bore down on me with a motherly smile, covering me with more of her fur, "Well, I'm Zida. The dark brooding one over there is my mate, Banda. And as you might've guessed, we've got a bit of a...situation."  
_

 _She turned her head to the largest part shared between herself and Banda, and nosed it lovingly. I swore that I could see something squirming in there, and I cocked my head._

 _"Does that mean you're having babies?"_

 _Zida paused in her tender nosing before smiling at me.  
_

 _"Oh, such an innocent sweet thing you are," she cooed as she circled around me, "That's right, Dak'n. Lots and lots of baby Amphisbaena."_

 _"Then...how come you're not eating me?" I decided to finally ask the question, Zida's friendliness breaking me away from my fear, "Aren't mommy animals supposed to eat a lot? That's what my mother said."_

 _"That's right, but..." she trailed off as she settled around me, and I curled up beside her, "You remember me saying that we're not from here? Well, the reason we're here and not there is because - "_

 _"Humans," Banda's voice seethed behind all the coils and Zida's massive girth, and I shot back into her fur as soon as I heard him skulking back towards us, "It was the humans."_

 _"Finally done moping about back there, have you?" she cocked an eye ridge at him, and he rubbed alongside her half-heartedly._

 _"Yeah, yeah...wouldn't have made a good meal anyhow," he brushed off the snappy remark, a distant, nonchalant look in his eyes.  
_

 _I looked between the two, and Zida gave me a reassuring smile. And in a moment of uncertainty, I stepped out of her fur just enough to peer up at the gigantic male. With a wink at me, Zida returned Banda's rub with a rub of her own, tucking her head underneath his chin with a smile. He remained stoic for a few more moments before caving. Twisting his head over hers, Banda dragged his chin along her forehead and horns gently with a soft rumble, sharing her affection with a big goofy grin.  
_

 _"Anyway, it was the humans," he cleared his throat after the display, and she giggled at his uncomfortable cough, "We used to be 'Good Gods' - ate diseased corpses of animals, provided help with healing and fertility, venom for their wars and weapons...then they said we were 'Evil'. No warning, no explanation...just death."_

 _"...I know how that feels," I spoke up softly, and Banda stared at me blankly before a twinge of pity pulled at his eyes._

 _"C'mere, cub," he lowered his head, and though I started to shrink away from him, all he did was give me a little nudge along my forehead._

 _"Told you he was a big sweet heart," Zida whispered to me, and Banda gave a disapproving frown._

 _"Well, that's because I'm the only one left you can talk to," he looked up at the tiny pinprick of light at the top of the well, "Only a few of us escaped when the humans started hunting us. And we haven't seen or heard from them since."_

 _"It's been years since we left our home," Zida looked down at me, her voice soft and sad, "I'm afraid...that we might be the last..."_

 _ _A few tears soaked my furry cheeks as I remembered my own situation._ They were forced to leave the only home they'd ever known, parted from their family and friends, and hunted by humans.  
_

 _"And it was all thanks to your father that we were able to escape safely."_

 _I blinked away the blurry vision and looked at Banda, his blood-rust eyes watching to see how I'd react._

 _"You knew my father?"_

 _"Of course," Zida raised her head and swept it to gesture to the well, "He guided us to these deserts, far from the humans who knew of us. Your father worked to save Gods like us, Gods who were cast out or shunned by the whims of the humans."  
_

 _"Was he...was he an Evil God?" I asked with my ears folded against my head, nervous._

 _"No, no, of course not," the female comforted me and shook her head, "He liked humans, or at least some of them. But he also understood their fickle nature, and that they can make mistakes. He knew that not all 'Evil Gods' were really evil, not as the humans put it."  
_

 _"That's how he judged us when he found us," Banda continued, nudging Zida affectionately, "So, he told us how to navigate the water veins in the earth, and guided us to our first well. And we've been hiding from well to well ever since."_

 _"Wow," I stood up and let my tail swish happily, "I never knew my father was a hero! Mother never said anything about that!"_

 _"Well, from what we understood about him, Shamar didn't stay in one place very long," Zida laughed, her tone turning romantic, "Maybe he saved your mother and just shared a night together under the stars in gratitude."_

 _"Mhmm," Banda chuckled at Zida's dreamy eyes, "If your mother was anything like Zida, that'd happen in a heartbeat."_

 _The female gave a little offended scoff and slapped him with one of her coils, getting a little 'oof' out of him. And for the first time since I got down there, I laughed. The sound of my chortle echoed in the chamber loudly, and they stopped and stared at me._

 _"...Well, that's just precious," Zida grinned widely and bent down to nuzzle me, "It's a shame Shamar never got to know you."_

 _"With all the rumors, he's probably still roaming the desert, looking for more lost souls to guide," Banda nodded and chuckled at his mate, "Which is why Zida...and I guess, me, too...won't eat you. We made a promise to Shamar to pay it forward when we could, and...if his son is anything to go by, I guess now would be the time."  
_

 _"And...if I wasn't Shamar's son?" I winced in preparation for the answer._

 _"..." they looked at each other and spoke in unison, " **We would've eaten you.** "_

* * *

 ** _"_** Wow, they sound like...quite a pair," Adrien laughed as Plagg moved a sock with his tail, making a giant shadow snake on the wall.

"Yeah...they were sort of like a fun aunt and uncle," he laughed with the blonde, then grimaced, "...Who could eat you. In a bite."

Plagg pulled the sock off of his tail and propped it against the light, grabbing a second sock and mirroring the image. The wall now sported two snakes facing each other, their heads touching in the shape of a heart.

"And no matter how much they fought, they always made up with each other," he leaned on the lamp lightly, chuckling, "Probably helped they couldn't exactly separate from each other, either."

"I wish I was like that with Ladybug," Adrien sighed as he laid on his side, "Not the fighting part, but...being with her 24/7? That'd be amazing."

A small twinge pricked Plagg's heart. Truthfully, the cat Kwami was thinking the same thing - about Tikki. Banda and Zida showed him that relationships were messy, hard, and a struggle, but worth every drop of blood and sweat.

"So...what happened? Did they adopt you?" the teenager turned back to Plagg with a smirk, "Did you start speaking with a hiss?"

"Hmph," the cat Kwami gave a flick of his tail and flew over to Adrien, dropping on his ribs heavily, "At least that'd make one of us who's actually good at being multilingual."

The boy gave a wince and rubbed at his side grumpily as Plagg grinned smartly.

"Now, where was I...?"

* * *

 **FW09: LOL Every time I do one of these arcs, they seem to get longer and longer. Anywho, if you were wondering about the Amphisbaena, they are actually of Greek origins, as monsters made when Perseus flew over deserts with Medusa's severed heads. When blood from her neck dropped into the sand, the Amphisbaena were born. They are known for having strong venom, a taste for devouring corpses, and was said to be great charms for fertility and health.**

 **Also, I did watch a bit of the Jungle Book a little while ago, which sort of inspired what I imagined their voices to be. (Ben Kinglsey as Banda and Lupita Nyong'o as Zida.)  
**

 **...And I pray that the next chapter is the last, LOL, to wrap up this arc.**


End file.
